Smells Like Teen Spirit
by jazzybizzle
Summary: Multiple pairings, one story. Beast Boy and Robin want nothing more than to be with their dream girls. When the Titans are invited to a ball, will romance blossom? Not only that, but at the ball, Speedy meets a mysterious girl named Jade-and he wants to know more about her. RobStar, BBRae, CyBee, Flinx, CheshRoy, AquaTerra, and Jerikole pairings.
1. Growth Spurts

**Summary: Two pairings, one story. Beast Boy and Robin want nothing more than to be with their dream girls. When the Titans are invited to a ball, will romance blossom? Not only that, but at the ball, Speedy meets a mysterious girl named Jade-and he wants to know more about her-and Beast Boy reunites with a blonde girl who's trying to remember her past life.**

**A/N: Hey guys! Soooo I have been in a good mood lately. While I'm still working on the sequel to Run This Town: Titans Together-_Bats, Aliens, Secrets, and the Sacred Journal_-I've been inspired to do another! I even went on demand (the free side, hehe) and watched three episodes of Young Justice. I must say, I was confused, but I was also interested!**

**In this story, you'll find some Young Justice references when it comes to a few costumes. :) And technically, there's more than two pairings but it centers around RobStar and BBRae equally.**

**And also, the RobStar kiss didn't happen in Trouble in Tokyo.**

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**Growth Spurts**

Beast Boy looked at himself in the mirror. The fifteen year old changeling smiled at what he saw. With his enhanced sight and hearing, he could tell that he had experienced another growth spurt during the course of the night. His one goal was to be taller than Raven-he even memorized her height for this moment. Now a little older, he was lean and fairly toned-no longer the scrawny boy he used to be. He let his hair get a little shaggier, mostly in the front where his bangs were, even though it was still untidy-and now messy since it was eight in the morning.

He beamed.

"Go Beast Boy! Go Beast Boy!" He cheered himself, moon-walking out of his room with his hand on his hip. "Whoo!" He pumped his fist in the air and ran down the hallway to the Ops.

The doors slid open, and the peppy green teen stepped through.

"Alright guys-you're lookin' at the fourth tallest person in the house," he said smugly, pointing his thumbs at himself. "Try not to be jealous."

Cyborg, now seventeen, hadn't changed a bit; he was still the tallest in the house. He rolled his eye at his best friend.

"Have you had another spurt of growth?" Starfire asked excitedly, walking over to Beast Boy with clasped hands. The sixteen year old was from the planet Tamaran, and she was still getting used to the 'earthly customs'. When she first joined the Titans, she was very tall-and still is. As the years went by, she let her bangs grow out and kept more hair on the left side than the right these days. Her skin was a beautiful golden color, and she had green eyes with light-green scleras. Her physique had always been slim with the perfect curves that made several guys in Jump City swoon.

Starfire came up to Beast Boy, who was now at her nose, and giggled.

"Glorious!" she clapped.

The Ops doors opened, revealing Robin, the team leader, and Raven, the empath. Starfire's eyes automatically brightened at the Teen Wonder; it wasn't oblivious that she had 'the feelings' for her dark-haired friend.

"Good morning, friends!" she said. "I assume you both have had pleasant snorflacks?"

"Good morning, Star," Robin replied, and Raven nodded at her. Like everyone else, he was in his pajamas and his hair was messy; he didn't use hair gel as much as he used to, and he kept it shorter on the sides than in the front. He was now close enough to her that you could see that Beast Boy wasn't the only one with the growth spurt. The sixteen year old stood at least an inch taller than the Tamaranian beauty, and she had giggled and blushed throughout the day that they both realized how tall he was.

Raven was the quiet, and dark one of the group. She had grey skin, purple eyes, and purple hair. Under the influence of Starfire and the fact that she got lazy with keeping it in its short bob, the empath's hair now cascaded down her back-but it wasn't as long as her best friend of course. Her growth spurt wasn't very noticeable, but it made her more slim in physique. And, like Starfire and Robin, she too was sixteen.

"Hey, Raven!" Beast Boy ran over to her. "Check this out! I'm taller than you! See?" He turned around so they were back to back.

Raven looked over her shoulder at him and almost snorted. "Yeah. Barely."

"You're just jealous 'cause you're now the shortest in the house." Beast Boy snickered as he headed into the kitchen.

Raven rolled her eyes and walked over to the coffee maker to make herself some tea.

"So what's for breakfast?" Robin asked Cyborg, sitting down at the table; he opened up today's newspaper and started reading.

"Raven's favorite!" Cyborg cheered, and this caught Raven's attention.

"Waffles?" Beast Boy's eyes brightened. "Sweet! This'll go great with my tofu bacon!"

"Hey now-you ain't touchin' my waffles. I know what you're tryna do."

"What?"

"I know you, BB. Mr. Sneak-Tofu-In-Cyborg's-Food."

Beast Boy snickered. "Despite that being an _awesome _idea..."

Robin stopped listening after that. He shook his head with a smile on his face. Starfire was standing by the table, watching their friends go back and forth with each other, and his gaze lingered on her. His teammates-mostly the males in this case-have been trying to set him up with Starfire ever since they've met. And to be honest, Robin_ did_ have feelings for her-but his stubbornness and nerves would get the best of him. He always gave the hero speech. Either 'they didn't have time' for things such as being romantically involved or taking vacations when they wanted. The world depended on them, and they always had to be there to protect it.

Sometimes, he wished he was like Beast Boy or Cyborg-they had a light-hearted side but knew when to get down to business. They could talk to girls and be at ease with them.

Of course, if you're talking about girls, then two in particular would be Raven and Bumblebee. Cyborg had a crush on Bumblebee while Beast Boy had it bad for Raven. During days where Starfire and Raven would venture to the 'mall of shopping', it gave time for the boys to bond themselves-so they knew about who crushed on who and what not.

Starfire flew over to where Robin sat and settled in next to him. Robin felt her eyes on him and he rose his head.

She smiled at him. "Do you find today's paper of news intriguing?"

"Um, yeah. Definately." He smiled back in return, fighting the urge to blush.

Starfire leaned forward, their arms brushing against each other as she rested her cheek in her palm. "What's happening?"

"Same old, same old." He felt his heart racing a bit. "Nothing too bad, since we're keeping villains in line."

Starfire giggled. "Agreed."

Raven poured the hot tea in her mug, watching the steam rise from the container with satisfaction. It smelled wonderful and soothed her.

"Hey, Raven!" Beast Boy said, leaning across the counter towards her direction, arms crossed on it. His voice had dropped a little, but everyone had a feeling that was only the beginning. Raven looked up, meeting his gaze.

"What?" she deadpanned.

"Want some waffles?" He flashed her a toothy grin.

Raven hesitated. Waffles _was_ her favorite breakfast food, but she never showed the enthusiasm.

"Whatever," she said, and as she turned around to walk to the table, he watched her longer than necessary before returning his attention back to the waffles.

Cyborg noticed this with a smirk on his face.

"What was that about?" he asked the changeling.

"What was what about what?" Beast Boy asked. He had abandoned his plate of waffles and started to work on Raven's; he added blueberry syrup as artfully as he could, unlike the mess he usually made with his, and shuffled around for a knife and fork.

Cyborg continued to smirk at Beast Boy, making the green teen's ears turn pink.

"Shut up," Beast Boy muttered, ears still pink as he picked up Raven's plate and went over to the table. Raven looked up from her tea as he approached her, taking notice of his pink ears. "Here ya go." Beast Boy set the plate down in front of her, placing the fork and knife next to the plate.

Raven stared at her waffles. Beast Boy did this? But it was so neat! _Are those blueberries...?_

Starfire was almost beaming, and Robin was also observing; thankfully for his mask, it was hard to tell if he was looking at Beast Boy and Raven, or at his newspaper.

"Thanks," Raven said, her voice going an octave higher in surprise, and looked back up at him.

Beast Boy's ears turned redder as he smiled at her. "No problem." He ran his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"If only he had the class to do his own like that," Cyborg teased with a dramatic sigh.

Beast Boy shot him a look. "Shut up, Tin Man!"

"Make me, Grass Stain!"

"Guys..." Robin warned.

Starfire giggled. "Don't you just _love_ mornings?"

Robin looked over at her and chuckled. "Tell me about it."

TT

"Titans, listen up!" Robin said, coming in the room with a letter in his hand. His teammates looked up from where they sat on the couch, all in costume. Robin's suit had gone through a few changes; what once was green was now black, including his shoes, and his gloves hugged his arms more. Starfire's remained the same purple, now in a leotard form-there were cut outs in her hips, stomach, and showed more of her bust-but her neck, arm plates, and boots stayed the same. Raven's bodysuit now lacked sleeves, and Beast Boy's was short sleeved and white and purple.

"Trouble?" Cyborg asked.

"No. We just got this in the mail." Robin held up the letter. "It's from the mayor."

"What does it say?" Starfire voiced her curiosity.

"We're invited to a ball at City Hall on Friday," Robin informed. "In honor of our heroics for the past few years. And it turns out that Titans East, North, and South are invited too, as well as the Honoraries."

"Wait a sec-is this a formal event?" Beast Boy demanded.

Robin's eyes narrowed at him. "_Yes."_

"And we have to wear _monkey suits?!"_

Robin sighed. "Yes, Beast Boy."

"Don't worry, BB," said Cyborg, patting him on the back. "Me and Rob'll help you find your 'monkey suit' and the girls will-"

"-Venture to the mall of shopping and buy dresses of evening for this ball!" Starfire squealed, and Raven groaned. She didn't _do _dresses, but the Tamaranian princess sure did. "This is glorious!" She turned around completely, hands holding the edge as she looked at Robin. "Do we have to bring escorts, or are we allowed to go as...'stags'?"

"Uh..." Robin's cheeks went scarlet. "You mean like, dates?"

Starfire nodded. "Indeed."

"I mean..." Robin shrugged, "if you guys want..."

"We_ can?!_" Cyborg and Beast Boy said in unison, exchanging glances.

Raven awkwardly got up and made her out of the Ops as quick as she could. Robin was about to follow suite when-

"I gotta go call Bee!" Cyborg said, getting to his feet and Beast Boy took the cue; the two raced out the room, leaving Robin and Starfire alone with each other.

Robin's teeth gritted in unease as Starfire continued to gaze at him.

"Robin?" she floated off the couch, doing a quick soar across the room until she was at his side before settling down on her feet.

Robin's heart was racing, and little did he know that the feeling was mutual from Starfire's point of view. He fought the urge to flee from the room or say something stupid that would hurt her feelings.

"I think you know...what I would like to ask you," Starfire started timidly, playing with her fingers. "But...but-"

"No, Star," Robin said, and the rest flowed out before he could stop them. "Do you...wanna be my date to the ball?"

Starfire's eyes brightened, her heart fluttering. "Really?"

"There's no one else I wanna go with," Robin said sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders as he blushed.

Starfire smiled, her cheeks as red as his. "Oh, Robin, I'd love to go to the ball with you!" She then glomped him in a bone-crushing hug with excitement, and unwillingly cutting off Robin's air supply.

"Great-um, Star?" Robin gasped. "Can't-breath-!"

Starfire gasped too. "Sorry!" She loosened her grip, starting to pull back but stopped abruptly when Robin's now-free arms wrapped around her in return. She relaxed into him with an inaudible dreamy sigh. She loved his hugs more than anyone else, and the hugs they shared were rare. These were the hugs that gave her butterflies; the ones where he kept her close for a little while longer. And now that he was taller, it made the whole situation even better.

As if reality set in both of their minds, they pulled away from each other quickly with wide eyes. Awkward silence passed between the too, neither of them able to look the other person in the eye.

"So, uh..." Robin cleared his throat.

"I will...see you later?" Starfire backed away towards the Ops doors, which opened as she got closer to them.

"Yeah." Robin gave her a little wave. "Later."

Starfire nodded at him with a shy smile before disappearing behind the doors, and the Teen Wonder sighed.

_Later..._He was going to look forward to it.

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**And that's it for the first chapter!**

**I have to say, one of my favorite parts that I wrote was as soon as Robin said ok to dates, Raven left the room xD I guess that kinda foreshadows who's gonna ask her ;D**

**Hope you enjoyed it so far!**

******And as a reminder: Bats, Aliens, Secrets, and the Sacred Journal will be coming to a fanfiction near you soon!**

******Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! **


	2. Everyone's a Madea Fan

**Thanks for the faves and follows :) I felt like updating quicker because I was just in that kind of mood.**

**Special thanks to Huntress of the Shadows, SmileForMe13, and FabulousRoss for reviewing (:**

**A bit of a heads up-Raven becomes a little OOC at one point, and that's only because Humor finally made her appearance, and she takes over for a few seconds. Unfortunately, I felt that this chapter was more of a filler, because there are mostly RobStar and BBRae _hints _instead of _moments,_ but the next one will be better! I promise!**

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**Everyone's a Madea Fan**

"So are you really gonna call Bumblebee and ask her to be your date?" Beast Boy was leaning casually against the threshold of Cyborg's room, ready and dressed for lunch.

"Hell naw," Cyborg answered shortly.

"But you want to." It wasn't a question.

"Truuuuueeee." Cyborg turned around in his seat. "Who knows? There might be some cute girls at this ball."

Beast Boy nodded a little, unsure. "I guess you're right, but..."

Cyborg studied Beast Boy's body language. "_Oh, _I see. You wanna ask Raven."

"Are you kidding?! She'd reject me, like she always does!" Beast Boy waved his arms for emphasis. "Hate to burst your bubble, dude-but I _don't_ want my underwear up my ass today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after that."

Cyborg snickered, getting to his feet. "Whatever man. Let's go get some pizza."

Beast Boy led the way out and down the hallway, only stopping when he came up to Raven's door.

"Is she...?" Cyborg asked, gesturing towards the door.

Beast Boy's left ear perked up at the sound of movement from the other side. "Yep." He rose a fist and knocked. It was only seconds later when the door slid open slightly, revealing Raven's purple orb.

"Hey, Raven," Cyborg said with a grin. "Ya ready to go?"

Raven nodded, coming out of her dark domain, and the door slid closed behind her. She too wore something casual, not surprisingly dark, and her jacket came with a hood.

Cyborg winked at Beast Boy, who glared back at him in response, and took the lead this time as they headed down to the Ops together; purposely, he walked in the front so Beast Boy and Raven were behind him.

Beast Boy was one step ahead of the half-robot, and he effortlessly started a conversation with another one of his jokes that no one got. The empath wanted to put her earphones in her ears so bad, but she didn't want to be _that _rude_. _Cyborg was a little disappointed that his plan didn't work, but he still had many plans up his sleeve. He was the one who came up with the idea of leaving Robin and Starfire alone, and look where that got them! Starfire's cheers could be heard throughout the Tower, bouncing off the walls for the next few hours after Robin asked her.

And speaking of the two, Starfire and Robin were already down in the garage, patiently waiting by the T-Car. The other three teammates took note of Starfire's wavy hair, flirty top, shorts, and wedges-which made her legs look longer, and she was now Robin's height. Oh yes. When Starfire was in a _very _good mood, she'd put extra effort in her appearance when the Titans went out together. She was already girly as it is, and loved to express herself.

Robin had said something the Titans didn't catch, and Starfire threw her head back in laughter.

"Okay, I know Robin's not _that _funny," Beast Boy said with a snicker to Cyborg and Raven.

His comment made the other two look up.

"Hello, friends! Are we ready to leave now?" Starfire asked.

"Yep. I call shotgun!" Beast Boy raced to the front of the car.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Cyborg protested.

TT

The Titans finally arrive at the pizza parlor they always go to. Cyborg raced inside, his stomach rumbling, and Beast Boy was tearing after him. Robin had decided to follow with his hands in his pockets and shaking his head.

Starfire and Raven sat at their usual table and waited for the boys to come back out with the pizza.

Raven arched an eyebrow as she watched the redhead bounce up and down in her seat, beaming so hard that the empath thought about how far Tamaranians' faces could stretch.

"Are you...okay?" Raven said.

"I am feeling _glorious, _Raven!" Starfire squealed, making her best friend jump a little. "Today is such a great day!"

"Can you cool your happiness down a bit? You're about to give me a migraine."

"Sorry!" Starfire took a deep breath, finding this 'cooling her happiness' very difficult.

"I know that Robin asked you to the ball."

"You do?"

"We all do. You were practically shouting it at the top of your lungs where everybody could hear you. What's next? You wanna let everyone in Jump City know too?"

"Won't they know on Friday?"

Raven sighed.

"Are you going as 'the stag'?" Starfire wondered curiously.

"I don't see myself having a date."

"Oh, but you _have _to!" Starfire looked around them before lowering her voice. "Are you hoping that Beast Boy will ask you?" She tried not to giggle as Raven automatically shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Why would I hope that?"

"Well, Cyborg, I believe, has his...eyes on friend, Bumblebee. And besides Aqualad, I can only picture you with Beast Boy!"

Raven's cheeks went the faintest pink. Aqualad was the girl-magnet; every Titan girl loved him. Comparing Aqualad the Heart-Throb to Beast Boy the Dork would be like comparing candy to vegetables. You always preferred the first one, unless there was something wrong with you. She didn't want to go with Aqualad, and _especially _if there was going to be slow dancing-and there was no doubt about that. Raven would obviously make a fool of herself, and she only thought of Aqualad as a friend.

A very good looking friend.

"Doesn't everyone?" Raven deadpanned, her cheeks fading back to its normal grey tone.

"Actually..." Starfire admitted artfully, and this caught Raven's attention.

"Actually what?" Raven put one earphone in her ear.

"Oh nothing..." Starfire said innocently. "I just think that, besides Robin and I, some of our fellow Titan friends think that it's quite obvious that you and Beast Boy are-"

"Hold on," Raven interjected, her eyes narrowing at Starfire. "There's _nothing-_and I mean _nothing-_going on between me and Beast Boy. Nothing! We're just friends-more or less-and that's _it._"

"Okay. Whatever does the floating of your boat." Starfire shrugged, and Raven's nostrils flared.

"I'm serious!" Raven's voice strained.

"Then why are you getting so defensive?"

Raven was quiet after that.

_Ooooh, are we talking about Beast Boy?! _Happy squealed from Nevermore. _He's sooooo funny, hehe!_

_He's so adorable! _Love agreed.

_His intelligence is often overlooked..._Wisdom murmured.

_He's lazy. I like this kid. _Sloth commented with a burp.

_He's a great fighter, but bet I can beat 'em! _Brave said with a superior grin.

_Laaaaame! _Rude said. _Ugh! He's green and disgusting! And annoying, did ya forget that? That's why we despise his guts!_

_SHUT UP! _Happy and Love snapped, and Rage growled in agreement.

_P-Please, l-let's not fight, _Timid croaked. _Beast Boy is...he's..._

_So dreeeeeeamy! _Love twirled around. _Puberty has done wonders on him! He's grown so much and just...wow._

Raven's jaw clenched, turning her music up louder, in hopes of tuning her emoticlones out.

"We're back ladies!" Cyborg announced, setting four plates and trays of pizza on the table; one was cheese, another was pepperoni, another spinach, and one with multi-toppings.

"Yummy! It looks fresh!" Starfire clapped as the others sat down; Robin scooted in next to her, and Beast Boy and Cyborg sat on the opposite side of them.

"That's 'cause it is!" Beast Boy rubbed his fingers together. "Dig in, everyone!"

Raven waited, knowing that her four friends would all dive in at once and get as many slices as they could. Beast Boy and Cyborg often competed for the biggest slices. Robin and Starfire reached for the same slice at the same time, their fingers touching.

Robin blushed and smiled, pulling his hand back and gestured towards the pizza. "After you."

Starfire smiled at him and got the slice, putting it on her plate.

"Aww, look at you two-already adding like a couple," Cyborg teased, and Robin sent a dark look in his direction that thankfully Starfire didn't see.

"I'm just being polite," Robin said with a shrug. He looked down at his pizza, taking a bite, and muttered between chews-"Unlike _some_ people..."

"WHAT?!"

Beast Boy snickered at Cyborg's expression. "Hahaha! Guess he told _you_!"

"Shut up, rectum!" Cyborg snapped.

"_Go to hell_," Beast Boy mouthed back.

Robin arched an eyebrow. "Okay, you two watch too many Madea movies."

"You should meet my grandma-she's just like her," Cyborg said. "Besides, ya'll watch 'em too. 'Specially Raven." Raven glowered in Cyborg's direction. "Raaaaven! You like Madea, don't cha? Ya know ya watch Madea movies several times...one or three...four or five...six or seven..."

"Nine or eleven," he and Beast Boy said at the same time and snickered in unison.

Raven sighed, looking down at her pizza.

A new emoticlone appeared in Nevermore, Raven could feel it, and she slung her arm around Brave's shoulders.

_Let me take this one!_ Humor begged. She had a bright blue cloak on.

And before Raven could stop her, Humor took over her and her response flowed out of her mouth.

"Cyborg..." Raven sighed, looking back up. "I hope you go _down-__down to the graveyard _and become some _maggot food. _And Beast Boy, you know how many times you think I might kill you? I'm not trying to kill you. I just want you to die. Just die, BB. Stop breathing."

Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin burst out laughing.

"That's a good one, Rae!" Beast Boy guffawed.

Raven, back to herself, pulled her hood over her head and crossed her arms.

She huffed.

_Never. Again._

* * *

**The Madea idea was inspired by my bestie, FabulousRoss. We were talking about how Cyborg posing as his grandma in "Fractured" reminded us of Madea and we flipped out laughing. Hope you liked it, girl!**

**As for everyone else, I hope you got the references. These Madea quotes are from Madea Goes to Jail and Madea's Witness Protection! I just decided to put them in there. If you're a big fan of the movies like I am, then I hope you got a laugh out of this!**

**I'm just horrible xP I had another plan for this chapter but it went in an entirely different direction. Bear with me-the story gets better.**

**...I hope *insert gulp here***

**Review please! (Especially if you have a good sense of humor)**


	3. The Perfect Dress

**Hey guys (: Here's the next chapter!**

**BTW: Starfire and Raven's dresses are on my profile page. Just click the links!**

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"Why couldn't I have stayed with the boys or something?" Raven was glowering at Starfire as she dragged her in the fifth store thus far. The Titans had split up in the mall, the boys going their way to buy tuxes while the girls went the other way to find the perfect dress and shoes.

"Because the last time I recalled, you were a female, correct?" Starfire replied with a giggle, squealing when she saw the fancy dresses that had their own section. She flew over there with Raven in tow.

"Fine." The empath knew that there was no way out of this. "How formal is this thing? Are we looking for anything in particular?"

Starfire shook her head, fingering through one of the clothing racks. "No, I do not think so. Hmm...Should I go for 'short and flirty' or 'long and elegant'?"

"Whatever you want." Raven crossed her arms.

Starfire sighed, turning around. "C'mon, friend! This should be a glorious time spent between us two females! At least try and do the cooperating!"

Raven bit her lip. "Have you forgot? I'm...kinda not good with this kind of stuff."

Starfire linked their arms together with a gentle smile. "Which is why I am here to assist." Raven gave a shaky nod. "Okay, since I know you are more into the blues, purples, and blacks, why don't we try over here?"

Raven follwed Starfire to the dresses, and Raven had to admit, the style and colors were quit nice; more in her comfort zone, she figured. Raven went through one of the racks. After watching her for a bit, Starfire saw bright colored dresses across the section that caught her eye and went in that direction. Raven was glad that she got a little space; it was nerve-racking enough as it is.

Starfire squealed, making Raven jump half an hour later.

"Raven! Raven! Look at this!" Starfire held up the dress in front of her, pressing it to her front, and Raven looked at it. Starfire had gone for the 'long and elegant'. "It's just my size! Success!"

"Yay," Raven deadpanned, and Starfire sent her an amused look in return. "It's..." Raven took a deep breath. "really pretty. You'll look amazing in it."

Starfire smiled warmly at her. "Have you found anything?" she questioned, walking over to Raven.

Raven shook her head. "Not really. There are some that I sort of like, but..."

"Which ones?" Starfire came up beside Raven, looking around.

"Well, there's this one-" Raven pointed to the left. "But the skirt is too long-and I might trip...and there's this one-" She pointed to the right. "And that's a little too...flashy..." As she spoke, her eyes fell on something hanging right in front of her.

Starfire saw her staring, and once she found what Raven was staring at, she beamed. "This dress is so pretty!" Starfire took it off the rack, pressing it up against Raven's front. "And it's your size!"

Raven checked the size. "Yep..."

Starfire placed Raven's dress on top of hers. "Let's go pay for these, and then we can go shoe shopping!"

Raven's face fell. "Oh great..."

TT

Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg intersected with Raven and Starfire as they made their way out the mall, carrying shopping bags as they went.

"Did you find everything okay?" Robin asked.

Starfire smiled at him. "Oh yes. Everything was perfect! And Raven found the perfect outfit!"

Raven shot Starfire a warning look, and next thing she knew Cyborg and Beast Boy were peering over her shoulder.

"Really?" Cyborg said.

"What kind of dress didja get, Rae?" Beast Boy tried to open a bag when Raven yanked it from his grip with a snarl. The changeling snickered and he and Cyborg went back to walking on the other side of Robin.

"Don't worry, boys. You will see her dress on Friday!" Starfire assured.

"But that's _two days _from now!" Beast Boy whined. He was actually really curious about what was in that bag, and he let his imagination run wild as he thought about the empath in the perfect dress...

"You'll be okay. Two days won't kill you," Raven mumbled.

"Can we _at least_ know what color it is?" Beast Boy begged, and Cyborg started smirking. Robin was also curious in Starfire's case, but he just kept quiet; he knew she'd look pretty either way.

Raven and Starfire exchanged glances, Raven sighing in defeat.

"It's blue," she muttered.

* * *

**Friday Night**

**6:09 p.m.**

"Raven! Are you ready for me to do your hair?" Starfire called out, her eyes never leaving her mirror as she put her diamond three bead drop earrings in her ears. Her dress was red with a sweetheart bust, showed a nice amount of back, fitting all her curves, and becoming ruffles at the knees and down. From the chest down in a downward slant to the right hip was covered in diamond beads. On the left was plain and red following suite, with the diamond beads present coming just over her hip. Her matching heels disappeared underneath the fluffy hem. Her hair was pinned to the left, her red locks in flirty curls. She had on black eyeliner, brown eyeshadow with a hint of red in it, a little blush, and red lipstick, and her fingernails and toenails were in a short french tip.

There was brief silence before Raven slowly walked in Starfire's room from the bathroom. Her dress was blue-made of a thinner fabric than Starfire's, fitting her all the way down to the waist, where the skirt was a little shorter than the back and flowed freely; underneath the dress was lime green, and purple-ish around the edges on the front. It was backless, with the short sleeves hanging off her shoulders. She had a black belt, made of the same fabric of the dress, snug around her waist, and black velvet boots falling a couple of inches below the knee. Starfire had given her a medicure and pedicure, and a clear coat of nail polish.

Starfire beamed at Raven's appearance, and Raven felt self-conscious as she sat down in front of Starfire with her back to her. Starfire extracted each hot roller out of Raven's hair, letting her purple tresses fall out in their curls. Starfire took a comb, gently brushing the mega curls out until they became calm and relaxed waves. Then she took a pin, resembling Raven's belt on her costume with a feather sticking out of it, and placed it in the right side of Raven's head, pulling some of the hair back on that side.

"Ready for the best part?" Starfire smiled wide, and Raven made a face as Starfire pulled out the makeup kit. She took out the black liquid eyeliner out first. "I believe you will like the 'cat eye' style." She bent down, "try not to blink." Raven opened her eyes, looking at the ceiling and Starfire applied the eyeliner to her bottom eyelid. "Okay, close your eyes." Raven obeyed, and Starfire applied at the top. Next, after putting the eyeliner away, she applied blue eyeshadow to Raven's pale eyelids; when she was done, she instructed Raven to open her eyes.

Raven gasped, observing her smokey eyelids, and was in pure horror when she realized that she liked it.

"I'll let you pick a lipstick color," Starfire said next, placing her kit in front of Raven. "There's also lip gloss, lip balm, lip liner, lip-"

"Okay, I think I get it," Raven interjected, her eyes skimming her options. Her gaze lingered on the more less noticeable shades, and was surprised that Starfire owned a few shades of grey. She settled for a mixed berry scented lip balm and applied it to her lips. She thought she was done, but not until Starfire added a thin coat of clear lip gloss for that 'extra shine'. "Are we done now?"

Starfire nodded, smiling, and Raven got to her feet.

TT

"Are you done yet?" Beast Boy demanded, arms crossed. The boys had gotten ready in Robin's room; Robin was giving Beast Boy a haircut. The Teen Wonder looked handsome in his tuxedo, wearing a red dress shirt and black tie underneath, and shiny black shoes. As always, his mask stayed present, but his hair looked a little neater.

Cyborg was getting a kick out of watching his best friend getting impatient. He stood by the door, casually leaning against the wall; he wore a black suit with a yellow dress shirt, and a striped tie with various shades of yellow and gold in pattern. Like Robin, he had black dress shoes, but in a different style.

"Almost." Robin rolled his eyes, getting out the hair gel. He didn't have to use much for BB's hairstyle, but it helped keep Beast Boy's bangs up. "Aaaand done." He took the mirror off the table and handed it to Beast Boy.

Beast Boy's eyes widened. With his hair sleeked back on the sides, and his bangs looking windswept in the front, he looked like-

"Duuuuude! I look like that Salvatore dude from The Vampire Diaries!"

"You mean Stefan?" Cyborg guessed.

"Yeah!"

"And you're welcome," said Robin with a roll of his eyes.

Beast Boy got to his feet. He wore a black suit and tie, with a white dress shirt underneath, and black converse. He smiled at Robin. "Thanks. Let's go! Maybe we can beat the girls downstairs!"

The three bounded into the Ops, finding that the girls were already there.

"Aw _man!" _Beast Boy complained, and Starfire and Raven looked up. "How did _we _loose to _you_ g-" He stopped short when he got a closer look at Raven. Robin was lovestruck beside him.

"Awww, don't ya'll look pretty," Cyborg said, coming down the stairs.

"Thanks, friend!" Starfire giggled, and Raven even smiled.

Robin shook his head quickly, snapping out of his reverie and walked down the stairs with Beast Boy.

"Can we just go now?" Raven crossed her arms. She caught the changeling gazing at her with a dopey grin; she took in his new appearance and felt her cheeks get hot. This new look made him look...; she lowered her head, walking to stand behind Cyborg, embarrassed.

Beast Boy, realizing what he was doing, blushed hard and gulped. He shook it off. "You heard the lady!" He struck a super hero pose. "To the idiot mobile!"

Cyborg chased after Beast Boy as he ran out of the room. "Hey! THAT'S MY BABY YOU TALKIN' ABOUT!"

Robin shook his head with a grin, and Raven left the room too. His eyes met Starfire's, and he walked over to her.

"You look...beautiful." Robin blushed, and Starfire did too.

"Thank you. You look very handsome as well." Starfire smiled shyly at him; now in heels she was just a smidge taller than him, but it wasn't that noticeable.

"Thanks." Robin pulled at his collar. "Both of us are wearing red."

They laughed nervously, looking at anywhere else but each other.

Robin straightened up; Starfire was his date for tonight. He wasn't going to ruin it with his awkwardness. He held his arm out to her. "Shall we?"

Starfire smiled again, weaving her arm through his. "We shall."

And together, they descended down to the garage.

* * *

**Aww :3 Don't you just love these teens? Hehe xD**

**There's more RobStar and BBRae in the next chapter! In fact...a lot of stuff happens in the next few anyway-'cause it's where things get...interesting ;)**

**Review!**


	4. Jealous?

**Heyo! In case you haven't noticed, yeah I removed the pairing. Ya know why? Because this story wraps around many other pairings as well! (More than I thought...) You still get good BBRae, RobStar, and the other pairings :)**

**Anyways, on with chapter four!**

* * *

Around the entrance were a full crowd of paparazzi and fans standing behind red ropes. There was also a red carpet leading up to the doors.

Flashes were everywhere when the T-Car pulled up.

"The Teen Titans!"

"Robin, over here!"

"Starfire! Over here, gorgeous!"

"Beast Boy, you rock!"

"Raven, give us a smile!"

"Cyborg! Love you man!"

Everyone's name was called as Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg got out of the car, and squealing came from the fans; they held up signs with their names on them as well as pictures on the posters. The mayor smiled from where he stood, watching the Titans sign autographs, answering a couple of questions; Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg were more than eager to take pictures with their fans, and Robin and Raven even took pictures with their fans too. Raven was rather flattered, seeing even a few children reaching and screaming for her.

As soon as the Titans reached the mayor, they shook hands with him, and he had escorts bring them inside to the ballroom. Just as they disappeared, the crowd erupted again as Titans East, North, and South showed up, as well as the Honorary Titans.

"This is so pretty!" Starfire said in awe, taking in the ballroom. It was very big and more rounder than the other rooms. To the left and right were tables covered in white table cloths and fancy dark wooden chairs around each one with a bouqet of flowers in the middle. In the front of the room was a band, playing music, and further down was a beaded chandelier-with look-alikes in front of the first rows of tables. And in the very back was a table filled with food, punch, and a chocolate fountain.

There were already guests present, rounding up to around one hundred to one hundred and fifty who were dancing and drinking in whine glasses. Cyborg and Beast Boy were already heading towards the dance floor, and it took no time for the other Titans to join in. Before they got to the dance floor, Bumblebee, Aqualad, Speedy, Mas y Menos, and Kid Flash greeted Robin, Starfire, and Raven first.

Jinx sighed, coming up next to Raven. For once, her hair was down from their usual ponytails, and it looked really good; her dress was a black corset with a hot pink fluffy skirt, and she wore black combat boots with it, and one sleeveless glove on her left hand made of leather. "Hey guys."

"Hi, friend!" Starfire said.

"Hey." Robin smiled.

"Kid ditching you again?" Raven asked knowingly, and Jinx nodded. "He likes to dance, doesn't he?"

"How could you tell?" Jinx deadpanned.

"Hey, Sparky!" Cyborg heard before someone slammed into him. He smiled, recognizing the voice, and turned around; he picked Bumblebee up and twirled her around before setting her down.

"Hey, Bee!" he said back, taking in her outfit. While her teammates came in their tuxes, Mas y Menos looking extra cute, with their dress shirts contridicting with their costume colors, Bumblebee had really decked herself out. She wore a spaghetti strapped dress made of what looked like real gold, sparkling in the lights; it fitted her perfectly, not too tight, and had a slit going all the way up to her thigh. Her makeup and heels matched, and her hair was in a Rihanna bob with brown highlights. "You look great!"

"Don't I always?" Bumblebee patted her head with a smug look, and Cyborg laughed. Bumblebee giggled. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"I try." Cyborg said dismissively, and she shook her head with a smirk.

"Think you all that, huh?" Bumblebee took his hand in hers, holding it up and placing her other hand on his broad shoulder; he placed his hand on her hip on instinct. Bumblebee leaned close to his face. "Let's see how you dance, pretty boy."

Robin looked over at Starfire, holding out his hand. "Wanna dance, Star?"

Starfire smiled, taking his outstretched hand, their fingers lacing together. She looked over at Raven. "Why don't you come with us?"

"No, you go," Raven said. "I'll, uh, get something to eat."

"Yeah, I'll hang out with Raven." Jinx said, and Raven smiled a little.

"Go have fun." Raven gave Starfire look, and Starfire nodded.

"Let us go dance!" Starfire squealed, and Robin yelped as he felt his body fly off the ground; Starfire nearly flew because she was so excited. She and Robin had danced together once, and she was hoping that this experience would be even better. They found a good space and Starfire turned around to face Robin. Robin grinned at her sheepishly, placing his hands on his hips, and she put hers on his shoulders. They swayed from side to side a few times, then Robin took her hand in his, twirling her around, and bringing her back in his arms.

Starfire giggled. "That was quite fun!"

"Get ready, 'cause I'm about to do it again." Robin's heart was hammering as he twirled her around again; this time when she spinned back towards him, her backside was up against his front, and he kept his fingers laced with hers and arms around her as he rocked them back and forth a few times. He spun her back out, then brought her back to him, and they continued their sway.

"So are they dating now?" Jinx asked, drinking her punch as she and Raven looked around for a table.

Raven shrugged, cupping her plastic cup, and took a sip. "More or less."

They found Argent sitting at a table by herself, watching everyone else dance. Her dress was vibrant and red with a flared out skirt, and she wore black gloves with it; her hair was longer, now just dipping past her chest.

"Hey, Argent," Jinx said as they approached, and she looked up.

"Hello, loves," Argent greeted. "You both look rather lovely tonight."

"Likewise," said Raven. "Mind if we sit here?"

"Go ahead." Argent gestured towards the chairs, and they sat on either side of her. "I'm surprised you're here, Jinx. Shouldn't you be with Kid Flash?"

"Supposedly." Jinx rolled her eyes. "He wanted to show off his 'rad skills' that are 'way better than everyone elses'." She put up sarcastic quotations as she imitated her boyfriend. She gestured out to the dance floor, where Kid Flash was goofing around and waving his arms with the boys of Titans East and West. Even Herald and Jericho were present, and they looked amused as they watched; Jericho saw Kole dancing with some of the girls, and she tripped on her heel, only to be caught by the blonde. The two blushed but ended up dancing together.

"HEY, BABE!" Kid Flash called to her, and Jinx got to her feet.

"Looks like I'm finally wanted around here." Jinx growled but made her way through the crowd anyway.

Argent giggled. "So what about you, Raven? Do you have a date?"

As she spoke, Raven's eyes fell on Beast Boy, who was apparently having a dance off with Cyborg; the music had increased in tempo. "I didn't want one. What about you?"

"I never bothered," Argent replied with a shrug. "It's too bad though. Would've been nice if a bloke came about and ask me to dance, no?"

Raven shrugged, watching her teammates have fun. "I guess."

She envied them.

* * *

A few conversations later, Hot Spot walked over to their table.

"Hey, Red. Wanna dance?" He was addressing to Argent.

"Sorry?" Argent was caught off guard.

"C'moooon. Ya know you want summa this!" Hot Spot gestured towards himself smugly. "Who wouldn't?" Oh, this guy was cocky.

Argent and Raven exchanged glances before Argent looked back at Hot Spot. "Okay, look-_Mister Suave," _she got to her feet, her hands slamming down on the table in front of her, making Hot Spot retreat back a step. "Let's get something straight, alright? First of all, I have a name-it's _Argent. _And second of all..." Argent's lips pulled up into a smile. "I'd like to see what you've got, Hothead."

Hot Spot smiled, and the two headed off to the dance floor. He would've been offended if anyone else called him that, but she made the nickname cute.

Raven was now alone, and she didn't mind. She caught Starfire's eye from across the room, and the Tamaranian princess beckoned her over, but Raven shook her head. There was no way she was gonna dance.

An hour passed, and Raven still hadn't got out of her seat. She just watched her friends, watched them go crazy with dance fever after the band was replaced by a DJ, who still did slow songs, as well as faster ones, but these were ones everyone recognized.

Beast Boy was at the food table, stuffing his face, not bothering to sit down with his plate. He was having an awesome time, but he wished that Raven would come out and dance, preferably with him. He didn't care if he made a fool of himself. He always did!

His communicator buzzed in his pocket. Robin had made them all take theirs just in case there was an emergency, because "anything can happen at an event like this and blah blah blah and important stuff bleh bleh". He took his out of his blazer and opened it.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw who it was.

"T-Terra?"

The blonde smiled from the other end. She hadn't changed a bit, except looking a little more mature in the face. She looked nervous. "Beast Boy?" Her voice was timid. "Um...you said that if I ever needed you then I could call you...so, uh..."

"Where are you? I'll come running!" Beast Boy said automatically.

Terra smiled sheepishly. "Turn around."

Beast Boy gave her a confused look before turning around towards the doorway, watching her giving him a shy smile as she put her communicator away. Beast Boy had given her one just in case she needed him, and this was a few years back. Was she finally coming to her senses, or was she really who Beast Boy thought she was?

He noticed that she was trying to be discrete as she made her way over to him, absentmindedly gripping her skirt; she looked like a princess, wearing a ice blue corset with a matching, long slightly puffy skirt. Her hair was curly, cascading down her back, and she wore white heels, but they were hidden underneath the skirt.

"Terra..." Beast Boy sighed happily.

"Hi," Terra replied, and they hugged each other.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he murmured, pulling back. "How are you?"

Terra looked around them. "Can we dance?"

Beast Boy nodded. "Sure." He led her towards the dance floor, but she insisted that they dance in the corner for private matters. Once they were out of peering eyesight, they laced fingers-with one hand at the shoulder and waist, and they began to sway to the slow music. "So...what brings you here?" he began for starters.

"I don't know. Something just told me that you were here so I can talk to you," Terra began. "But really, I saw that you guys were invited, so I wanted to tag along I guess." She was avoiding his gaze. "You see...the thing is..." She sighed. "Back when you tried to get me to come back to the Titans...the reason why I refused is because not only was I afraid to, but I just didn't _remember."_

"You mean you don't remember everything?" Beast Boy was in shock.

Terra nodded, finally meeting his gaze. "Not until I saw you. Then, as we spent time together, I started to remember piece by piece, as if my life was an unfinished puzzle. I remember you, the Titans, my powers..." Terra hung her head, and the rest came out in a croak. "M-my betrayal..."

"Shh." Beast Boy rubbed her back in comfort as she buried her face in his chest. "Everything's okay. Since you sacrificed yourself to save the city, everyone forgave you."

"They did?"

"Mhmm."

Terra lifted her head. "Some pieces are still missing and others feel like dreams...very bad dreams. I can't remember everyone's name and...the powers that I used to have are long gone now."

"You're powerless?"

Terra nodded, looking up into his green orbs. "I figured after a while that it's for the best. My powers are what got me into trouble in the first place."

"Don't say that..." Beast Boy shook his head. "If it wasn't for your powers then we would have never met." He smiled down at her.

She smiled back. "I'm surprised you didn't wish that you've never met me."

"That never crossed my mind."

"Ever?"

"Well..."

"Dude!"

"Hey, the opportunity was out there!"

The two laughed and continued their waltz. Little did they know that a certain empath was staring in their direction.

_Who's that blonde he's dancing with? _Raven thought. _Not that I care but...but still. She looks awfully familiar..._

Meanwhile, Speedy had been dared by Aqualad to go find some girl to slow dance with; Aqualad had his share of dancing with all of his lady friends, and even had talked to Raven for a bit. Aqualad was observing his best friend by the punch table, snickering at the ginger's awkwardness.

Finally making up his mind, he walked up to a girl who was sitting at a table alone, observing the crowd. She had faint olive-toned skin, long black hair with bangs that framed her face perfectly, brown eyes, and a very nice and slim body. She wore an all black dress, which was sleeveless and had a puffy skirt, and smokey eyes to match.

"Hey."

The girl looked up, arching an eyebrow with a little grin as she appraised him. Last time she saw him, his hair was shorter; but now his bangs were longer and fuller, and shaggier. As she looked closer, she noticed that he had a hint of a five o'clock shadow.

"Speedy, right?" she said. Her voice was soft and shy.

Speedy smiled. "Yeah, the one and only. Wanna dance?" He held his hand out. He saw her hesitation, and took a second thought about whether or not he should just walk away.

"Sure," she said, taking his outstretched hand. Her hand was very slender as it fit in his own, and Speedy felt butterflies for some reason as he led her out onto the dance floor. He turned around when he stopped walking, and they clasped hands while letting their free ones fall where they may, swaying on the spot. Aqualad's mouth dropped in disbelief, and Speedy sent him a smug look.

"So, uh, what's your name?" he asked her.

She gulped inaudibly, silently debating. Should she? Should she risk it? It was only her first name, and she rarely used it anymore. Tonight, she had two aliases. One for the cover story-she was just a citizen lucky enough to be invited-and the other her victims knew her by. She was on a mission tonight, and she had to wait until the right moment. "Jade," she said finally. And she didn't tell him her last name. He had no business knowing.

"Ooh, I've never met a Jade. That's new. Where're you from?"

"I grew up here," Jade lied smoothly. She had never been this close to somebody without seriously hurting or killing them; and strangely, she was a little glad that she wasn't assigned to him.

"Cool." Speedy smiled down at her. Now that they were closer in distance, he got a really good look at her-and she was something to look at. She was different than the other girls who shamelessly flirted with him; she was more timid, and her almond shaped eyes were so intriguing. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen." And for somebody so young, she had experienced and done so many unthinkables...

"Same here."

And that's how their conversation went for the next few minutes; Speedy would ask her casual questions, and she'd give him short answers. Eventually, Jade found herself curious and asking him questions. She shouldn't be doing this! The more they talk, the more it would be expected to reveal! And she'd have to lie about 98 percent of it. All. Lies.

Jade inwardly hated herself; she hated her past, and if it wasn't for her childhood, she wouldn't be in the mess she's in. She would've had a better life; made friends. Went to high school maybe.

But no. Her life was pretty fucked up.

Raven found herself glowering in the changeling's direction, watching him and that blonde dance together; a foreign feeling struck her, and it ticked her off. Whatever feeling it was, Raven didn't like it, and Beast Boy dancing with that girl wasn't helping either.

She didn't notice Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg walk over to where she sat and sat down with her; Cyborg leaned over his chair next to Raven, watching what she was watching. He studied her face and smirked. Ha. This was golden. Little emotionless Rae-Rae was-

"You are so jealous right now." Cyborg snickered.

Raven snapped out of her reverie. "What? What are you talking about?"

"We see you glaring over there at BB and his lady friend."

"Who looks very familiar..." Robin noted quietly, and Starfire cocked her head to the side nodding in agreement.

"I am not glaring," Raven deadpanned. "And I'm not jealous."

"Oh are you now?" Cyborg said sarcastically.

And this was when Starfire noticed what was up with her friend.

"Oh my! I believe Cyborg is right!" Starfire beamed at Raven. "You _are _the jealous!"

"I am not!" Raven shot back.

"Raven, having the jealous feeling is okay," Starfire assured. "There's nothing to be ashamed abo-"

"_I told you, I am not jealous," _Raven hissed through gritted teeth. "So stop saying what I am."

"Then why are you staring in Beast Boy's direction? And why are you having that angry look on your face? And why did you have fire in your eyes? And why are you getting so defensive like the other day? And why-?"

Before Raven could snap, Beast Boy suddenly appeared at the front of their table with a toothy grin.

"Hey guys!" he said.

"Hello friend!" Starfire replied. "Are you having the good time?"

"Great time." Beast Boy sighed blissfully, and Raven rested her cheek against her palm with a sour look. "Hey, Raven. You okay?"

"What do you care?" Raven grumbled.

"Uh oh," said Cyborg. "Guys? Anybody in the mood for a snack?"

"I'm in!" Robin said automatically, getting to his feet. He grabbed Starfire's hand. "C'mon, Star!"

"But where are we-Eeeek!" Starfire could barely get her words out as Robin and Cyborg rushed her away from Beast Boy and Raven.

Beast Boy scratched the back of his head. "Uh...did I do something wrong?"

Raven almost glared at Beast Boy. "Where's your friend?" She tried to make her voice sound as emotionless as possible.

"What friend?" Beast Boy questioned, and her glare darkened. "Oh, you mean, uh..." His cheeks turned faintly pink. "You saw that, huh?"

Raven sighed. "It doesn't matter." She got to her feet. "This party is boring anyway."

"Hey, where are you going?" Beast Boy caught her by the arm before she could walk further away, and she yanked her arm out of his grip as she met his gaze.

"Home," she stated simply.

"What? No! Don't go!" Beast Boy protested. "Please stay! It won't be the same if you left!"

"That's bullshit coming from you, Beast Boy. You were gone the whole night and pretended that I didn't even exist."

"That's how you want it, isn't it?!" Beast Boy rose his voice a little. "You _always _want to be alone and you _always _want to be a loner. God, Rae, sometimes you don't make sense! I wish you would just-" he stopped as a thought struck him. And then he started grinning.

"...What?" Raven took a step back.

"What does it matter to you if I was dancing with someone?"

Raven was caught off-guard by this. "Wh-what?"

"I saw you staring, Rae. I'm not as stupid as you think I am." He put his hands on his hips. "You were so jealous."

"No I wasn't..."

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't!"

"Yes you were!" Beast Boy cackled. "Just admit it, Raven! You were jealous. _Sooooo_ jealous."


	5. Murder of the Night

Raven was very quiet, but she stood her ground; she continued to glare up at him while his cocky self grinned down at her, and knew he was winning when she felt her face burn.

Being as stubborn as she was, she went back over to her table, picking up her drink and took a sip; she avoided his gaze as much as she could.

"I wasn't jealous..." she said calmly, and knew she could even make herself believe it if she looked into his eyes; and she did. "I've just been feeling...off this whole night. Everyone's emotions are really getting to me, and that girl you were with...felt..._off _from everyone else."

"I think that's the way she wanted it..." Beast Boy murmured to himself. He looked back at her and sighed, taking a step closer to her.

"Besides, you might be right...I always like to be alone. But I concentrate better I guess," Raven continued, and she didn't notice Beast Boy coming closer, as observant as she was. "I never want to ruin anyone's fun, so I shouldn't be complaining to you when you weren't here. And you just didn't know."

What caught her attention was when Beast Boy made a brave move by taking her hand in his; she looked up at him, ready to yank her hand away, but something in her kept her frozen.

"I'm here now," he said, and Raven was surprised by the seriousness and sincerity in his voice, making it go down an octave; almost husky. When she didn't pull away from him, he took her other hand in his free hand and started walking backwards. She felt an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach as she realized that he was pulling her towards the dance floor with a slow song playing; and she was letting him.

She was paralyzed from the waist up. She didn't fight him. She didn't punch him. And she didn't know _what _was wrong with her. She was letting him into her personal space.

Beast Boy didn't push his luck though; he started to put his hand on her upper back, gulping when he felt her bare skin. He had forgotten that her dress was practically backless. Sensing his uneasiness literally, she stepped closer to him, hesitantly placing her hand on his shoulder; her movement caused his hand to slide down a bit, but she didn't seem to mind.

The two began with simple sways and little steps, slowly getting used to each other and being this close. It made the whole situation nerve-racking _and _embarrassing on Raven's part. He left her bewildered when he lifted their entwined hands and twirled her around; she went with it awkwardly, and he just smiled and did it to her again before pulling her close. He spun them around in a few circles and crescents, and he found her trying to fight a smile each time she twirled her or even picked her up and spun her around.

Eventually he heard her giggle, and that's what encouraged him even more; judging her reactions to everything he did, she must've really liked twirling and coming back to him.

Some of the Titans were the main ones staring in disbelief. Beast Boy, out of all people, had gotten Raven to _dance? Slow dance? _And with_ him? _

After eating, Robin accepted Starfire's offer of returning to the dance floor. Now he held her really close, and she felt safer where she was.

"I've always wondered what color your eyes are..." Starfire murmured, staring up into his mask. She sighed. "Would it hurt to at least tell me?"

Robin sighed too. "One day. Soon." He smiled softly at her. "I promise."

Starfire returned the smile. He had always said one day, but this time he added 'soon'. She was glad he was getting more comfortable with trusting her and his teammates; they all knew that removing his mask could reveal so much, and he just wasn't ready yet. What she didn't know was that Robin had been longing to show her for years; the suspense was killing her, he knew it. He even learned that Speedy started having his mask off around the house, after a night of storytelling; Speedy fully trusted his team. Why couldn't Robin do the same?

Well...it wasn't that easy.

Starfire, while they were swaying started to slow to a stop, reached up and placed her hands on his cheeks; this, distracting Robin completely, made his eyes droop from behind his mask.

"What wouldn't I give to see your eyes..." she murmured.

"Star..." he murmured back, leaning into her touch; it was on a reflex. Her hands were soft and soothing, and they felt good on his skin. Her thumbs stroked back and forth, her hands sliding down at a slow pace as she felt the structure of his face.

Her gaze turned lidded, and his eyes were mirroring hers from behind his mask.

"Robin...I..." Starfire's heart skyrocketed as she tried to get her confession out. He may be afraid to tell his feelings, but she had more courage, and was determined to tell the boy she loved how she felt.

"Yes...?" Robin's voice was husky as his arms slipped completely around her waist.

"I..." She leaned closer to him, and he seemed to do the same thing.

"HEY ROB!" Cyborg bellowed out, making them jump as he made his way over to where they were.

"Can't you give us a minute here?" Robin said, his eyes narrowing with pure annoyance.

"You're hoggin' the ladies, man," Cyborg said. "Care for one dance, Star?"

"Of course, friend!" Starfire said, masking her disappointment. "I'll...see you later, Robin..." she told him over her shoulder, and her gaze lingered on his as she was led away by Cyborg.

Robin sighed. "See you..." He hung his head and decided that it was best for him to sit down.

_Damn you, Cyborg. Just damn you._

Raven's smile was wide, showing all teeth as Beast Boy twirled her again, and bringing her back to him. This time, she rested her head against his shoulder, and both of their smiles naturally fell. Beast Boy rested his chin on her shoulder too, their bodies pressed a little closer together than before.

"Who knew you could dance?" he heard her mutter with the most quiet of giggles, and he grinned.

"At least I don't have two left feet."

Raven stepped on his foot. Hard.

"Ow..." Beast Boy groaned, still smiling; since her boots had lack of heels and more of the wedge, it didn't hurt as much as she had intended it to be. "Guess I deserved that, huh?"

"You got that right." Raven turned her head, sighing as her head got comfortable, her nose now grazing the side of his neck. Her tone was softer when she said, "Since I'm dancing with you, I think I deserve an explanation in return."

Beast Boy knew where she was getting at and sighed. He lifted their hands, pressing them against his chest, and Raven's heart gave a jerk. "Don't freak out, okay?"

"I'll try my best," she replied sarcastically. "Just tell me."

Beast Boy was quiet for a bit before he answered finally. "It was Terra. She came back to talk to me." He felt her back tense, and he even went as far as rubbing it a little. "Look, it's not what it seems. Her memory is limited, and she's powerless. She still goes to school, and she now lives with her older brother."

"She has an older brother?"

"Yes. Terra, believe it or not, came from some kingdom I forgot the name of. She and her bro were next in line for the throne. Terra ran away because she didn't want that; she felt like she was too out of control with her powers, and she wanted a life of adventure instead. So she left. Her brother found her shortly after she came back from, ya know...getting 'unstoned' I guess."

"She remembers all that?"

"No. Her brother's been trying to get her to remember things. They're very close now."

"Hmm." Raven tried to sound uninterested as she continued, "So why did she just come to you? Why didn't she come speak to the rest of us?"

"She only wanted to talk to me-because she remembers more about me and the relationship we had. And she was just more comfortable being around me than you guys. No offense though."

"I don't care." That was a partial lie. "Do you still...you know, like her? It's okay if you do. You can do whatever you want."

Beast Boy shook her head. "Nah, not anymore. And she told me that she was hoping we could leave things behind; she just wanted me to be there for her as a friend. And even though no one saw it, she had a short dance with Aqualad before she left and went home. I even heard Aqualad mention something to Speedy about 'finding his Cinderella'." Beast Boy chuckled. "They must've hit it off in that short amount of time."

Raven still had one thing on her mind, and she wanted to get it off her chest. "Do you like anyone else then?"

Beast Boy shrugged against her. "Well, yeah...I think she's a whole lot better than Terra. Sometimes she treats me as if I don't exist, but I know she does." He grinned, looking down at her.

Raven avoided his gaze. "Hm. She must be a keeper then, if she can put up with you."

Beast Boy chuckled. "Trust me. She is, and she does."

"Would you look at that?" Cyborg singsonged, with Bumblebee in his arms as he brought them over to where Robin and Starfire danced; yes, the two were united again, and haven't mentioned the near-kiss. Cyborg nodded in Beast Boy and Raven's direction.

Robin did a turn so he could see, and Starfire turned around in his arms, gasping happily.

"Glorious! I must do the girl talk with her later!" Starfire was giddy.

"How can he be that close without her nailing him in the balls?" Bumblebee wondered.

"Damn," said Robin and Cyborg, shaking their heads.

"I've been eyeballin' them all night," Cyborg said with a smirk. "Hehehehe."

"What's the deal on Speedy's new friend?" Robin asked, and Starfire craned her head around to look.

"Aqualad's idea," Bumblebee explained before Cyborg could. "He's trying to get Speedy to get a girlfriend since he's been lonely."

"Why? Does Aqualad have the girlfriend?" Starfire asked curiously.

"Call me crazy, but I think AQ and this blonde chick exchanged digits." Bumblebee smirked. "Hehehehe."

"Are you alright, friend?"

Bumblebee giggled. "Yeah. Anyway, since those two are practically best friends, and since Aqualad is the heartthrob, he's trying to help his bestie be happy. Aqualad has been out with girls, yeah, but none of them have been brought home. Probably 'cause they just didn't work for him, and he hasn't found 'the one' yet. And, as always, he lets them down easy like the gentleman he is."

"Poor Aqualad..." Starfire sighed.

"Did someone mention my name?" Aqualad said, now approaching the four; another song came on, in a much faster tempo now, and had the perfect amount of base. The other four had stopped slow dancing.

"We were just talking about you, friend!" said Starfire.

Aqualad smiled down at her. "Oh?"

Starfire's cheeks turned the faintest pink. "Why yes! We were talking about you and Speedy, you see," Aqualad nodded, and she continued, "and Bumblebee said she saw you and a blonde girl 'exchange the digits'. Is this correct?"

Aqualad smiled sheepishly. "Maybe."

"Oooh, this is great! Please, tell me her name!" Starfire clasped her hands together.

"Okay, okay," Aqualad caved in. "Her name is Terra."

"_Say what?" _Robin and Cyborg said.

Starfire gasped. "This makes sense, do you all not see? She was also dancing with Beast Boy! Of course it is her!"

"What did she tell you?" Robin was all business, crossing his arms.

"Alright guys, I know about the whole Terra thing-it's okay," Aqualad said. "All of us know-well, Cyborg told me one day during a transmission call when he was calling for Bee and-"

"Hey!" Cyborg gave Aqualad a warning look, blushing, and Bumblebee arched an eyebrow.

"We were talking about random stuff up until Terra mysteriously came up in the conversation. Her story was sad, really," Aqualad continued. "Anyway, she told me what she had told Beast Boy. Long story short, she's still in school, she lives with her older brother-who's been looking for her since she ran away, and she's powerless." Aqualad shrugged.

"Terra never mentioned an older brother..." Robin stroked his chin.

"Mhmm." Aqualad nodded, hands in pockets. "Next in line for the throne in Markovia, her home land."

Starfire was utterly surprised that she and Terra had more in common with her than she thought.

"Terra...was a _princess?" _she said, and Aqualad nodded again. "And heir to the throne?" Aqualad nodded yet again. "Just...like me...?"

_Wow._

* * *

Jade sighed. She and Speedy danced, talked, laughed, ate, and drank together all night; she really needed to get going. Her target tonight was someone who was after the mayor, and she was after him. In an odd way, she felt like it was some sort of heroic, but at the same time she was going to take someone else's life anyway. Eh. They deserved it.

Speedy and Jade were talking about the technology he uses for his arrows when there was an explosion from a room above them, causing the chandeliers and roof to shake. Within seconds, some of the debris fell in huge chunks, causing screams to erupt everywhere. Raven formed a force field just in time over the entire room, and Robin was now telling the civilians to exit quickly. There was trouble. And just in the nick of time.

"I should go," Jade said, starting for the exit.

"Wait!" Speedy grabbed her hand, and she whipped her head around to him; if anyone else had did that, they'd be on the floor in the next second. She was surprised when he put a Titan communicator in her hand. "If you need anything, anything at all...just...just call me, okay?"

"Speedy, I don't-" Jade began. She could take care of herself, thank you very much.

"Just take it!" Speedy's voice was urgent, and he gave her a gentle push. Jade sighed and put it in her purse quickly; hitching up her skirt as she ran even faster, she soon disappeared into the crowd.

"Titans, suit up!" Robin commanded, and they did such that. It took no time for all the Titans to come together in their costumes. "Alright-all of us can't go up there and see what's going on. Whoever's behind this is-"

"Downright crazy?" Bumblebee guessed, and Cyborg snickered.

"Well yeah..." Robin mused. "Anyway-Titans East, you and my team will go upstairs. Titans North and South-you all go see if there's any activity going on outside." The Titans nodded. "Titans, GO!"

TT

Jade prowled out on the roof, crawling in a catlike manner as she observed her surroundings. Her outfit changed, now a dark green colored kimono with shreds and rips that she added herself for the hell of it; it tied to the front to keep it closed of course, and she wore black knee-high boots with it along with black gloves that hugged her skin. And of course, to top it off for the night to make her transition, she slid the Cheshire mask on her face. She had to admit, she liked this attire better than the last time she and Speedy met. This one was more mature, and even showed off her legs more; the only thing that remained the same was that her weapons were concealed underneath her sleeves.

Seeing the other Titans file out made her move quickly; she didn't see Speedy, so she slipped through the roof. She landed on all fours in the darkness. She heard movement.

It was dark. Very dark. Besides a light in the corner of the room.

There was a struggle.

The mayor was pushed up against the wall, a mysterious hand enclosing around his throat.

"W-Whoever you are-" the mayor gasped-"I-I won't hesitate to c-call the police!"

A deep voice chuckled. "Ha...that's pretty funny. Am I supposed to be intimidated?"

The door burst open, and the Titans sprung in the room.

"As a matter of fact," Robin said darkly, "you're supposed to be _very _intimidated."

Before he or Bumblebee could call the Titans into action, something happened abruptly.

There was a sound of light footsteps racing across the floor in darkness; the mysterious figure, who was also bearing a hood and a long black cloak, paused for three seconds to listen to those footsteps. Before he could draw his gun however, the disturbing sound of skin tearing broke the silence as a long knife was drawn through and up his chest; it wasn't just the stab. The assasinator was sawing through him back and forth, making sure the deed was done. Starfire gasped, watching as the figure rose in the air, then fell off the blade and onto the floor. Blood was dripping, and spreading in a pool around him.

His killer was confirmed as the light shined on her like a spotlight, but in a very creepy way.

Speedy automatically stepped forward, raising his bow and arrow. "_Cheshire!" _he growled.

"Speedy, no!" Bumblebee yelled after the ginger as he chased after the masked villain into the darkness. Their silhouettes collided in the moonlight, smashing through the window as Speedy tackled her.

"Titans, spread out!" Robin yelled, and the two teams split.

Speedy and Cheshire tumbled down the flat roof, both trying to dominate with being on top; during this, they shared punches to the face and the gut, and kneeing groins. Speedy succeeded briefly, up until Cheshire kicked him off, sending his body backward, then she flew to her feet; she beckoned him playfully.

Speedy gritted his teeth, raising his bow, pulling the arrow back. As each arrow shot forward at her, she dodged every one of them with the occasional giggle; she was having fun with this. He looked cute when he was mad. She was practically dancing, moving from side to side, dropping to her feet with the occasional split, bending back like she was in a Matrix. Eventually, he'll run out of arrows...At the thought, she smiled behind her mask.

On his last arrow, Speedy was breathing heavily. Cheshire didn't move.

"Why did you do that?" Speedy demanded. "Why? You're just as much of a monster as he was!"

Cheshire didn't answer.

This ticked Speedy off, and he let the arrow fly; this one was a special one he saved. One that as soon as it reached its target, electric circuits would shoot through their bodies, similar to electricuting.

Cheshire's eyes widened. _Shit._

Just on time, before the arrow could go straight up her nose and pierce her skull, her hand flew up and stopped it; she heard a click, and knew she had seconds until it would be over for her. The last warning second passed, and Cheshire threw the arrow back in Speedy's direction. Speedy gasped, his plan backfired as the arrow made contact with his shoulder.

Cheshire watched as he shook, writhing and screaming in agony as he fell to the ground; she had to admit, this was hard to watch. He shook a little more, and was still when the electricity had left his body. Cheshire ghosted over to where he lay, hovering her ear over his mouth. Yep. He was still breathing.

She sighed in relief.

She heard the other Titans yelling for him, most likely after hearing his screams. She had to get out of there now. And fast.

_Until next time, Red..._Cheshire thought, getting to her feet. She heard the Titans approaching, and could tell they were ready to strike. She turned around, smirking once again as she threw a black sphere at the ground, and smoke emitted from it fast.

By the time the smoke cleared, the villainess was long gone.

"Mi amigo!" Thirteen year old Mas said, he and his brother getting to Speedy's fallen form. The twins had grown out of their short days, now as tall as Beast Boy was when they had met him, and were long and lanky.

"Ayuda esta aqui!" Menos added, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Speedy just groaned in response, and he even managed the hint of a smile.

* * *

**For those of you who didn't know, Mas said, "My friend!" and Menos said, "Help is here!"**

**This chapter was a mouthful to write! But I hoped you all enjoyed it :) Didja know that Speedy x Cheshire is one of the main pairings too? :) A good share of Titans West _and _East, oh yeah!**

**And I just hate it that Mas y Menos are always Forever Alone. Why can't there be another set of twins for them or something? Do you guys actually ship anyone with each of them?**

**Just a thought...I'm always curious about possible ships!**

**Anyways, don't forget to leave a review! **


	6. Feelings and Histories Unravel

**Oh good lord, this chapter is long! I did not mean for it to! Don't worry, I plan to balance the chapters out within the next few. This one is kind of a filler, but at the same time, it's a pretty important one.**

**Fair warning, this chapter is a rollercoaster of emotions. First happy, then sad, then I guess happy again. You'll see why xP**

* * *

"Morning, Rob," Cyborg said with a yawn as the two passed each other in the hallway.

"Good morning, Cyborg," Robin replied. "Star up yet?"

"Yeah, I saw her up on the roof."

"Thanks."

Robin headed up to the roof with a lot on his mind. Despite the murder, he only had one other thing on his mind; his original plan if the unfortunate events last night hadn't happened. He let all this crime and villains go to his head last time. He wasn't going to this time. Maybe his best friend would get him in a good mood; he was hoping for that.

Starfire was indeed sitting on the roof in her pajamas, swinging her legs back and forth over the edge; she enjoyed the sunlight beaming down on her face as it rose in the air. It was early in the morning, and she liked watching the sunrise. It was peaceful, and the breeze was perfect.

"You're up early."

Starfire turned around, already smiling at the sound of Robin's voice. "As are you. Despite the previous night, did you have pleasant snorflacks?"

"I slept okay. You?" Robin sat next to her, his legs hanging over as he gazed into the sun.

"I slept the okay as well."

The silence continued in a soothing silence, the two absorbed in their own thoughts.

"I, um...hope I was a good date and all..." Robin began sheepishly, even blushing a little bit.

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked him questionally.

"Well...I was hoping you didn't think I was, you know, awkward and things like that."

Starfire giggled, even shaking her head a few times. "No, you were perfect. I had a wonderous time! Did you?"

"Of course I did." Robin smiled at her.

"And you did not think that I was being the awkward?"

Robin chuckled, now shaking his head. "No, definately not."

Their gazes lingered until they both looked away and blushed.

"Starfire?" Robin bit his lip, and their gazes met once again.

"Yes, Robin?" _Oh God._

"I came up here to, uh...talk to you."

"But...aren't we doing the talking now?"

"That's not what I meant." Robin shook his head.

"I...do not understand..." _Her eyes._

Robin took a deep breath, looking down into his lap, then down at the island, then back up at her. Finally stepping up and being brave, he stood up and held his hand out to her. Starfire, still looking confused, took it, and he pulled her to her feet; what surprised her was that before she pulled her hand away, he took her free hand in his grasp.

"Robin? Wh-What...?" Starfire stammered, her heart fluttering.

"No more working myself harder than anyone else..." he murmured, his eyes on the ground. He looked back up at her. "No being oblivious to this..." He squeezed her hands tighter. "To us..." He was hoping his hands weren't sweaty. Starfire's eyes were wider than usual. "No more running away from my feelings." He held up their hands a little higher.

"Feelings?" Starfire asked timidly.

Robin took another deep breath. "Starfire, I...-"

The door burst open.

"HEY, YA'LL!" Cyborg said, standing in the doorway, with a sleepy looking Raven and Beast Boy on either side of him.

"Breakfast is ready!" Beast Boy said with a sleepy grin.

Robin felt the strongest pang of annoyance; at the same time, the other three were now eyeballing their hands.

"**Not now**!" Robin barked, letting go of one of Starfire's hands, pointing forward.

"Yes, sir!" Cyborg cringed, he and Beast Boy closed the door. Raven started to retreat when she didn't feel them following; she looked back and saw that the two boys were keeping the door opened by a crack.

"Idiots..." Raven muttered, but she found herself joining them.

Robin sighed quietly, and his other hand united with Starfire's again.

"Starfire..." Robin tried _yet again,_ his voice more gentle. "You once told me that we were able to be more than heroes...I think I understand that now. I was so afraid of doing this because the people I care about the most always end up dead." He took another deep one to keep himself calm. "Now...I trust you enough..." He almost gulped. "Close your eyes."

"Close my...?"

"Please?" Robin used that begging voice, smiling a little.

Starfire bit her lip, then she closed her eyes. A second passed, and she felt his hands leave hers. What was going on?

Robin hesitated, and with shaky fingers, he reached up towards his mask.

Starfire continued to wait patiently, and then Robin's hands returned, but only to place something in her own; she gasped, her eyes flying open as she stared down at Robin's mask. His hands were still holding hers holding the mask.

"Starfire, look at me."

Again, that irresistable voice; soft and pleading.

Starfire was still for a moment, before her eyes finally flew up to his and meeting his orbs for the first time.

And they were the most handsome orbs she had ever seen. They were blue, the clearest and most memorizing of them all.

"R-Robin?" Starfire couldn't help the smile spread across her face.

"Heh..." Robin smiled shyly, then leaned forward-he didn't have to lean that far, for they were close enough as it is-resting his forehead on hers, and looked at her from his eyelashes. His gaze became lidded. "Call me Dick..."

Starfire smiled a little wider. That must have been his real name. But that thought slipped her mind, because soon his arms were around her waist, and his lips were on hers. With a little blissful sigh coming from her, she kissed him back; their mouths held together, her arms twining around his neck, and his marveling the shape of her hips. Her movement brought them closer, quiet shudders of pleasure coming both from them as their bodies touched, and she leaned up on her toes.

"Aww," Cyborg said, the door now wide open. "She's kissin' him."

Beast Boy laughed, grinning all the way, and even Raven was showing a positive expression on her face.

Robin and Starfire's lips pulled apart with a soft smack, and they looked around at their viewers; Robin was smiling in a lopsided manner, and Starfire was giggling.

"Dude..." Beast Boy said, making a circular motion around his eyes. "Nice."

"Thanks," said Robin, and he and Starfire released each other. Robin looked down at her.

"Robin...um, Dick?" Starfire struggled with what to call him, and Robin chuckled at that. Beast Boy's snicker was interrupted by a jab in the ribs from Raven; Starfire held up his mask. "Do you wish to...?"

"No, I'm fine for now," Robin replied. He reached down and took her free hand in his. "Let's go get something to eat."

TT

"Soooo..." Beast Boy spoke up while they ate. "Do we call you _Robin _or do we call you _Dick?" _he tried his best not to laugh, especially due to the fact that Raven was sitting beside him, and Robin wasn't far either.

"Call me whatever. But out in battle, you know to call me Robin," the Teen Wonder answered. "My real name is Richard, but...those _closer _to me just call me Dick."

"I think it's great that you're sharing your history with us," Starfire told him.

Robin started to smile, but it was wary. "There's more."

"More?" Cyborg said.

Robin sighed. "Yes. We've all known each other for so long now. So I'm more than willing to tell you everything about my past, and my life before the Titans. That is...if you really want to know..."

"Of course we do!" Starfire said, and she gripped his hand with both of hers. She bit her lip. "If you're going to do the sharing, then I will do my own share as well." She smiled at the rest of her teammates.

"Count me in too," Cyborg piped up.

"Yeah, me too," Beast Boy said.

The rest of the Titans looked at Raven.

Raven sighed, taking a deep breath. "Why not?"

* * *

"Hey," Bumblebee greeted Speedy, walking over to where he sat on the couch. His shoulder was patched up. Aqualad, Mas, y Menos were on either side of her. "How ya doin'?"

"Fine," Speedy deadpanned. Yep. He was a little grouchy. Cheshire had gotten away _again._

"You know what I think will make you feel better?" Aqualad said, sitting down next to Speedy. He then pulled out a mirror, holding it in front of Speedy's face. "See? Who's that good-looking guy?"

Speedy blinked. "Sometimes I question your sexuality, bro."

Aqualad arched an eyebrow. "I was talking about myself."

Mas y Menos laughed at that, and Bumblebee rolled her eyes with a grin. Speedy even smirked, pushing Aqualad off the couch, and grabbed the mirror so he could look at himself.

"That was some fight though. I was so worried," said Bumblebee, taking out a plate.

"Yeah. Some fight," Speedy said. "That damn girl got away again. Because of me."

"Don't blame yourself, buddy," Aqualad said. "It's always, 'Me, me, me' when it comes to chasing down Cheshire."

"That's because I'm the only one who can stop her."

"Suuuuure."

* * *

Robin stood in the front of the Ops, the rest of his teammates sitting down on the couch in front of him.

"I was born Richard John Grayson, and raised in Gotham City by my parents, John and Mary," he began. "My childhood wasn't rough, I was raised in a pretty good environment. My parents were acrobats, and it wasn't long before I joined them and became one myself. We were The Flying Graysons, and we performed at Haley's Circus. It was fun for me. I made my parents proud, and I even felt proud of myself." He smiled a little.

"However," he sighed as he continued. "One night...while preparing for a performance, I...I overheard these two guys-and they were attempting to extort protection money from Mr. Haley, who was the circus owner. He refused, so they sabotaged the trapeze wires with acid." Robin tensed up a little as he continued. "When my parent's performance rolled around, I was watching them. I didn't know what happened to the trapeze wires at the time, but I _knew _something was...wrong. Very wrong...

"Eventually, while my mom and dad were doing their routine, the ropes snapped and...they...they fell." Robin gulped down the knot in his throat, and he found it harder to contain himself. Starfire was on the verge of tears with her hand over her mouth, and to his surprise, Beast Boy was close behind. Cyborg's eye was a little shiny, and Raven was the calmest of them all. "I was there. I should've _done _something at least! But what could I do, a stupid eleven year old kid, right?" He asked rheotorically with a sarcastic laugh, and he fought back the tears as they threatened to form in his eyes.

The Titans were silent.

"Before I could go to the police," he continued, "Batman came up to me from out of nowhere and warned me that those two men were gangsters and they worked for Tony Zucco, who was a very powerful crime boss, and that revealing what I knew could lead to my death. When Batman told me about the murder of his own parents, I asked to become his aide and be by his side. I was so scared of being alone and helpless. Where was I gonna go?

"At the time, I thought that we were so much alike, you know? We both lost our parents, we even _look _similar. He adopted me as his son, and trained me. For the next few years, Gotham City knew us as Batman and Robin. Wayne Manor, however, was the only place where we were known as Bruce and Dick. Just a billionare and his stepson. I thought of him as a father, and I still do now, but of course you could never replace your parents..."

Robin didn't say anything after that, and his team knew that he could say no more. The rest was self-explanatory. He left Batman's shadow, moved to Jump, and met the rest of them. Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire mumbled a few incoherant things, but the tones were understanding and full of sorrow. Robin sat down on the couch next to Starfire, leaning his head back; Starfire met his gaze briefly, holding his arm and now sliding down so she could rest her head on his shoulder; his head leaned against hers, and their fingers intertwined.

The others exchanged glances.

Beast Boy got to his feet.

"I, um, guess it's my turn," he said, now standing in the front of the room. "Heh...I don't know where to start really..." He scratched the back of his head nervously, closing his eyes. His parents came to his mind, making him sigh and open his eyes.

And then he began.

"As you guys know, my real name is Garfield. Garfield Mark Logan, and like Robin, my middle name came from my dad. My parents were Mark and Marie, and they were geneticists who traveled through all kinds of jungles for their wildlife study. I was brought up in all kinds of jungles, from Brazil to Africa to India-you know, all sorts of places. During my childhood, that's how I became attached to animals. I thought they were so cool, 'specially the apes. I thought I was Tarzan." He laughed a little at that.

"My parents, out of the blue, became interested in this rare species of green monkey. I thought, 'Cool! A green monkey!' I've never seen one before, and I was very eager to see one-I mean, what little boy _wouldn't? _It was a _green freakin' monkey!_

"The day we found it, I was...well..." Beast Boy almost growled. "That damn stupid monkey bit me. I don't know why. All I did was pet it! And then Mom and Dad checked to see if it was poisonous or something. Turned out I was injected with a really bad illness called...Sakutia, I think. My mom and dad attempted to save me, so they used this new serum-it wasn't necessarily...tested out yet. But my parents would do anything to save my life. Bada bing, bada boom, a couple of days letter, and I became this." He gestured towards himself.

"One day..." Beast Boy sighed after some silence. "We were on a boat..." He took a deep breath; breathing steady was becoming difficult. "And, um..." He crossed one arm over his chest, while his other hand grasped his chin as he thought; his gaze was far into the past. "I can remember that we were...on our way to Brazil again. It wasn't far from where we were, actually. Mom loved Brazil and its wildlife...

"I didn't see it coming. I didn't know how it happened...but..." Another unsteady breath. "but our boat was made out of wood, something that I helped my parents in building-and my dad's really good at building stuff, so I thought that nothing bad was gonna happen. Somehow, the boat _crashed _into a boulder-" He made a crashing moment, crashing his fist across the air and down into his hand. "-and the boat spiraled out of control. By then, I could shapeshift into a small amount of options, so when my dad told me to get out of there...I told him I couldn't. I _couldn't_ just leave! And M-Mom made it harder..." Tears were present now, but they weren't shedding yet. "She was close to tears-I was already crying anyway. So her telling me to calm down and shapeshift so I could get up to safety was bullshit."

He paused, for by then, his voice shook.

"After...I had...shapeshifted into a bird and flew off...well...by the time I got on higher ground..." A tear fell down his cheek. "I watched as the boat fell over the waterfall. I heard t-their screams. I screamed for them, and I got as close to the edge as I could without the current pulling me in...I kept calling them but...but they n-never c-came up...!" Tears were flowing freely, and he stopped, covering his face with his hand. "I could've been there! I could've s-saved them!"

Then, to everyone's surprise, Raven-out of everyone, _Raven-_got up from where she sat and embraced him. Raven couldn't help it. With all of the emotions rubbing off of her, she was close to crying herself. But, as always, she forced her emotions inside. Robin was the worst, and the Teen Wonder was realizing that he and Beast Boy had more in common than he had thought. They _both _had felt guilty over their parents deaths, feeling that they could have prevented it from happening. Starfire was letting her tears fall freely; they were silent, and were coming in slow trickles down her cheeks. Cyborg's cheeks were wet, but he didn't make it obvious that he was getting a little emotional too.

Beast Boy gasped, but accepted Raven's embrace without question, this time embracing her back as he broke down. He was leaning down while she was on her toes, her arms around his neck, one of her hands running through his hair in soothing strokes.

"It's okay..." she continued to chant to him, her eyes closed almost tight. "It's alright...Don't blame yourself...It wasn't your fault..."

It took a minute, but Raven's words slowed down his sobbing, and he began to loosen his grip on her; Raven recognized the gesture, and she pulled back to look at him.

Beast Boy managed a watery smile. "Thanks, Rae."

"Anytime," Raven told him, patting his arm, and gestured for him to sit down. As the changeling did, he recieved bro-hugs from Robin and Cyborg, and a warm hug and kiss on the cheek from Starfire; when they all got situated, Starfire was holding both Robin and Beast Boy's hands. Raven remained standing. "I guess I'll start, since I'm already up here." She sighed.

"You all know my...creator," Raven began, making a face. "I'm not gonna say father. It makes me gag." Beast Boy almost smiled at that. She let some of her dry humor come through. "Trigon. Definition of evil. Big and red. Devil eyes and horns that remind me of sticks. Never remotely liked him.

"My mother on the other hand..." Raven clasped her hands, her fingers playing with each other for a bit. "Her name was Angela Roth. When she was born, my grandmother had abandoned her at birth, and she never knew about my grandfather. She became a ward of the state and was channeled through the foster care system, always migrating from one uncaring family to the next. No one _really cared _about her. Because she was..." Raven took a deep breath, "different." Her eyes lingered on Beast Boy's a little longer than the rest of her teammates, but it was unnoticeable.

"This made my mother feel apathy, and when religion failed to provide her with a sense of spiritual satisfaction, she turned to Satanism as an alternative. So yes, she began worshipping the devil and all that. When she was a teenager-late teens maybe, she became involved in a cult that attempted to summon the devil. She was also offered up as a potential 'bride' for Satan...

"Instead..." Raven crossed her arms. "It was Trigon, and he was disguised as a..." she searched for the right word, using hand motions. "drop dead gorgeous-practical sex god-really good looking and irresitable dude." Raven almost stopped right there. She just said _dude. _"Anyway, Trigon seduced her and she realized too late what he really was. After that, she attempted to kill herself, overdosing and things like that. She found out that she was pregnant with me, and the fate that I had, and she didn't want that to happen to me.

"She nearly drove herself to insanity until she was taken to the Azarath by the monks. She was taught pacifism there and had her named changed to Arella, which means 'The Messenger Angel'.

"Then I came along, and I was raised by the monks of Azarath," Raven continued. "Since they knew more about my powers, I spent most of my time with Azar-the leader, and learning how to control them and found out that they were linked to my emotions. My mother and myself had a...nice relationship, but we became slightly more distant as I got older.

"Eventually, Azar died, and after that I was plagued by prophetic dreams of Trigon and, defying my teachers by what they warned me about, I confronted him in a Limbo at his bidding. He was satisfied, telling me that when I become of age, he was planning on..." Raven grimaced. "_seducing _me into becoming his ally." Her teammates made a face. When I turned fourteen, I sensed Trigon's power returning and came here, to Earth." Raven shrugged her shoulders. "And that's when I heard a disturbance downtown..." She looked pointedly at Starfire, and the Tamarianian princess even giggled at the memory.

Raven returned to her spot, nestled between Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"Alright, um...who's next?" Robin asked, a little awkwardly.

"I wish to have a go," Starfire said, getting up and walking to the front.

She took a deep breath and turned around to face her friends; the people she loved. Her eyes met Robin's next, and he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Well..." She placed a finger to her chin. "I guess I shall start with my youth. I was born Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, second in line to the throne. I was the middle child, with Princess Komand'r as the oldest, and Prince Ryand'r as the youngest in our royal family. My mother and father were Luandn'r and Myand'r, the queen and king of Tamaran.

"My childhood was quite delightful. I got a lot of attention, as well as Ryand'r, but I couldn't help but notice that Kom became bitter because everyone gave us attention and not her..." Her voice trailed off as she studied everyone's confused expressions. "On your planet, Komand'r is translated into Blackfire, and Ryand'r is Wildfire in English. My real name is pronounced as _Koriand'r, _but those closest to me would call me Kori."

The confusion disappeared, and she continued.

"Little did I know at the time that Kom had signed a deal with the Gordanians. When they took over..." Starfire bit her lip as she remembered. "I was taken away...and I was sold as a...sl-slave."

Everyone but Raven gasped in horror.

"Ryan was sent away, and Kom disappeared as well...m-my parents died of grief and depression, because we were gone for so long.

"My...time as a slave was the darkest of my days." Starfire was visually uncomfortable, and she often looked at the floor, or anywhere else so she wouldn't meet any eyes. "I was a servant, and I had my own master..." Her eyes darkened, her voice leaked with pure venom, and for the first time, Starfire looked almost...well...dark.

"My master made the most of my bondage with years of horrific servitude, torture and unprevented sexual exploitation at the hands of others." Robin almost recoiled at this, his nostrils flaring. Starfire met his gaze sadly. "Yes. I went through unforgiveable torture. You see, us Tamaranians can endure much more than you humans can, so..."

"Starfire, please," Robin begged. "You don't have to-"

"No, you must know of this," Starfire interjected, now tearful again. "I was tortured, treated poorly, beaten, and raped. If you have thought of it, I probably have gone through it. Not even your Earthly torture methods could compare to what I had been put through.

"One...night...one of the captors came into my cell and...h-he raped me," Starfire continued. "I...I..." She nearly lost it. "Out of the moment and the rage and the betrayal I had felt, I-I killed him!" She sobbed. "I-I-I killed him! And I-I instantly r-regretted it, especially now t-that I-I-I'm a T-Titan! N-No T-Titan deserves to b-be one after com-...commiting m-murder and-!"

Robin was out of his seat one second, then pulling Starfire into his arms in the next. She collapsed against him, feeling week at the knees.

"_I'm so sorry!" _she wailed. "I-I shouldn't ha-!"

"Shhh..." Robin shushed, rubbing her back in comfort, and holding her tight against him. He was very close to tears again. "It's alright, Star."

"We don't blame you," Beast Boy added, letting the tears fall where they may.

"We really don't. That bastard deserved it," Cyborg agreed.

"N-No p-person should d-deserve d-d-death!" Starfire pushed her hair out of her eyes. There was no way she could calm down, and the pain was excruciating on Raven's part.

Robin looked at her. "Raven?" he begged, almost with agony.

Raven got to her feet, walking over to Starfire, and Robin released a destraught Starfire. Raven's eyes were calm while Starfire's was wild, and the empath cupped Starfire's wet, warm cheeks.

And she looked straight into Starfire's eyes.

There was a faint glowing coming from Raven's hands, and Starfire slowly started to relax.

"What's she...?" Beast Boy asked, studying Starfire's glazed look, almost like if she was in a trance.

"I'm taking your pain away..." Raven murmured, never tearing her eyes away from Starfire. She felt the negative energy course through her; with her demonic nature, she used that to make the experience less painful. "You have been through so much, just like the rest of us..." she continued in that calm, entrancing voice, and Starfire's breathing managed to return to normal. "Killing that captor made who you are, believe it or not. You are a great hero, Starfire. No matter what you did in the past. What's done is done. It's over now. You have us."

The glow faded, and Raven removed her hands. The glazed look in Starfire's eyes was gone, her gaze now refocusing on her best friend. Then Robin. Then Beast Boy and Cyborg. Then Raven and Robin again.

Starfire embraced Raven, and the empath returned it. The alieness thanked her, and after a long glance exchanged between her and Robin, the two birds sat back down, and Starfire was able to continue.

"After...doing the unforgiveable deed," she said, "My master decided to execute me as punishment. But we were attacked and captured by Psions. Psions are a group of sadistic scientists, who in your world were 'alien', and they performed a deadly experiment on m-me-they were testing how much energy my body could absorb before exploding from the overload.

"The Gordanian forces attacked the Psion ship to take me during the procedure, and while they were distracted, I broke free with my starbolts. But I was soon restrained and I spent the rest of my enslavement with the Gordianians...

"It wasn't long before I escaped with a 'space pod' and crashed on Earth. And that's how they tracked me down and tried to capture me yet again. But...a certain group of four prevented that from happening."

She smiled, and her teammates smiled back wryly. She went to go sit back down just as Cyborg got to his feet; Robin opened his arms, and she let him pull her in next to him, their arms around each other.

"Alright," Cyborg said, rubbing his hands together. "My name is Victor Stone-and Stone was the name I was known for at the H.I.V.E. I was a pretty good kid, ya know, the average boy. Loved sports, spending time with my dad, playing with my friends outside, all that good stuff. I loved school, and I also loved building things. Which is what led me to who I became today.

"One day my mom picked me up from football practice-this was when I was in high school. We were just ridin', talkin'. There was nothing out of the ordinary. She asked me how my day was, I told her the usual, and asked about her day in return. She and my dad were scientists, so I was always interested in how their days went.

"Anyway," Cyborg's gaze darkened, "this idiot runs a red light just as we were about to go. And it hit us head on, causing our car to skid across the street. The car hit my mom's side, so she was killed instantly. I can't remember much after that, besides pain, and wanting to die...

"When I opened my eyes again, I saw my dad working over me. It took me a moment before I realized what he had done to me, just to save my life," he gestured towards himself, "and I was angry and shocked. Angry because it was too late for my mom, and shocked that half of my body was now metal and machinery, and I could never be the same again.

"Going back to school didn't help either. People made fun of me, talked about me behind my back. My so called friends stopped hanging out with me, and I was kicked off the football team. Even my girlfriend at the time broke up with me." Cyborg shook his head. "I spent the rest of that year loathing my father, up until he was killed by an accident that happened in the lab." Cyborg was a little relieved to see that no one was about to cry (Well, except Starfire of course). But they still looked sad. "And since no one wanted to adopt a robot, I was on my own for a while. Eventually, I got in touch with my grandmother, and she looked after me for about another year; I decided to drop out of public school and just stay homeschooled." Cyborg shrugged.

Beast Boy broke the silence first.

"Wow, dude. Lucky we all met each other when we did."

Cyborg nodded in his agreement, Robin murmuring, "Yeah..."

"Know what?" Beast Boy got to his feat, now standing next to Cyborg. "It's bittersweet. I'm glad these things happened to us in a way, otherwise we would've never met, we would've never became a family, and we would've never made friends who were just like us! The past is the past, and I think we should celebrate what we have right now."

Robin and Cyborg smiled, nodding, and even Raven cracked a little smile. Starfire's smile was big, wide, and watery as she stood up. Robin got to his feet too, and Raven followed soon after, the five Titans now standing in a circle.

"I love you people!" Beast Boy said, holding out his arms with a laugh, and his friends laughed a little two as they all shared a group hug.

"We love you too, man," said Cyborg.

"I love you all!" Starfire said, tightening her grip on everyone she touched.

"You're my family," Robin added. "Love you guys."

All eyes were on Raven, who let her tiny smile widen.

"The feeling's...very mutual," she said, and a chorus of 'Aww's echoed around the circle.

* * *

**Dawww :') Told ya! I kinda cried, but that was only because I was listening to Evanescence while typing this!**

**I based the Titans stories on what I've read on Wikipedia, the Teen Titans Wiki, DC Wiki, and even Tumblr! I just added a little here and there :)**

**Review! **


	7. Grabbing Some Coffee

**I've gotta stop updating so fast, but I can't help it! xP I'm just in a writing mood, especially with this story!**

**Let's get this baby goin'!**

* * *

The five Titans spent the rest of their day inside, enjoying each other's company for the first time in what felt like forever. This was a special bonding that actually included Raven joining conversations, and even sharing a few smiles here and there. They watched movies, played video games, and just sat around the house, talking amongst each other freely. Robin was maskless throughout the entire time, and to his teammates' glee, they learned that he would only wear his mask when they were out; he and his team even did transmission calls with a few close Titan friends-this included Titans East (with a maskless Speedy), Kid Flash and Jinx, as well as a couple others.

When it was getting late, the five friends bid their goodnights before going off to their rooms. Robin decided to walk Starfire to hers since their rooms were on the same hallway.

"Well," Robin said for starters as they approached Starfire's door, and she turned around to face him. "Today was..."

"Unlike any other," Starfire finished for him with a smile.

"You can say that again."

Her hand reached over and grasped his, and he looked down at it; his hand curved up, and their fingers laced together.

"I am glad that you are comfortable with us now," she murmured. "In the closer, trustworthy sense."

Robin nodded, taking her other hand in his. "Me too. It feels like a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I know that I can trust you guys with my identity, as well as myself keeping your secrets safe with me."

Starfire smiled a little up at him. "Glorious."

He chuckled, and she leaned up towards his face; he closed her eyes as her soft lips descended on his for a lingering peck on the lips. She pulled back when their foreheads were touching.

"Goodnight, Dick," she whispered.

"Sweet dreams, Princess Kori," he whispered back, making her giggle, and he grinned himself. He watched her go inside her room, then left for his own. As soon as he was inside his room, his door closing behind him, he pumped his fist in the air and whispered-yelled, "YES!"

TT

"Again, _why _are we going out for coffee?" Speedy grumbled from the backseat, sandwhiched between Mas and Menos. Bumblebee was at shotgun, and Aqualad in the passenger seat; the way Titans East got around was in a sleek and silver, futuristic car, that could also transform into battle mode if necessary.

"Because you've been beating yourself up over Cheshire for the past four days," Bumblebee remarked, eyes on the road.

"And it's getting on our nerves," Aqualad added.

"Sí," Mas said.

"We're only concerned," said Menos. "Your sleeping habits are _muy malo."_

"¡Exactamente!" Mas agreed with his twin.

Speedy sighed. "No matter what you guys do, you can't stop me from tracking her. I will find Cheshire and when I do-"

"Is it me, or is there another reason why you're after her so much?" Aqualad said, now teasing. "Does someone have a little crush?"

"Shut up, Seaweed," Speedy snapped back. "Why in the hell would I like Cheshire? Out of _all _people? She's a fucking criminal for crying outloud!"

"Easy, Arrow," Bumblebee said. "AQ's just jokin'. Besides, you're into that other girl, right?"

"What other girl?"

"That mamacita que bailaba con!" Mas pitched in.

"Ella es muy bonita," Menos added, thinking out loud.

"Jade!" Speedy gasped suddenly, and he placed his face in his palm. "I hope she got out alright. Cheshire could've killed her!"

"I don't think so," Bumblebee said, pulling into the coffee shop parking lot.

"Yeah, if you paid enough attention, then you'd know that she goes after the big people," Aqualad said. "She's a skilled assassin. Lethal. She gets hired for what she does, and no doubt paid a lot of money for each kill."

The group got out of the car and headed inside. Mas and Menos went to go find a table to sit while their older friends ordered the beverages. When they returned, the five just sat around, waiting for their drinks to arrive. It didn't take long, because a dirty blonde girl walked over with a smile, placing white mugs in front of each Titan. Bumblebee had a frappuccino, Aqualad had a cappuccino, Speedy had coffee, and Mas and Menos had hot chocolate.

Speedy was taking his fifth sip, this one the longest so far, when Aqualad elbowed him in the arm, and Bumblebee smirked and said:

"Aye yo, Speedy. There goes yo girl."

Speedy's head snapped up just as a girl walked in. She looked around briefly before walking up to the cashier to order her beverage; she was very slim, and had olive toned skin and black hair that was in the gentlest of curls. She wore a green plaid shirt unbuttoned, a dark tee underneath, a black skirt, and worn out converse.

A smile spread across his face.

"I'll...be right back," he said, grabbing his mug as he went. His teammates just smirked.

"Have fuuuun," Aqualad singsonged as Bumblebee matched his tone while saying, "Don't hurryyyy!" and Mas and Menos waved, "¡Adiós!"

Speedy walked up next to the girl, who hadn't noticed him as she got her coffee and swished it around a few times.

"Sooo, are you stalking me?"

Jade's head snapped up, her eyes brightening a little when she saw who it was. She wasn't surprised though. Out of guilt and curiosity, she followed him and his team back to their city, and had kept on low profile until she saw him again. But she definately wasn't calling it _stalking._

"You're funny," she retorted with a grin, turning on her heel and headed for a table across the room. Speedy followed like a lost puppy. She sat down, and he slid in across from her.

"Alright then," said Speedy casually. "If you're not stalking me, then what the hell are you doing in Steel?"

Jade gave him a look that consisted of narrowing her eyes but also failing to not smile while pursing her lips. Then her face cleared out as she took a sip from her coffee. What was she to tell him? "Alright, you got me. I'm just another fangirl stalker."

Speedy laughed, and she did too. "For some reason, I'm glad you did. Did you make it home okay the other night?"

Jade almost made a face, feeling the guilt already. "Yes..." she said slowly. "What was that about anyway?"

"What, the explosion and stuff?"

Jade nodded, keeping her face clear and innocent. She played it perfectly.

"Turns out someone was out for the mayor," Speedy said, taking a sip from his coffee, and Jade did too. "But he was killed by an assassin and she...got away. The mayor's fine. A little shaken, but fine from what I've heard."

"Mmm..." Jade played with her fingers in her lap. "Tell me then?"

"About?"

"The one who...'got away'."

Speedy's face darkened, and Jade automatically regretted asking. "Her name is Cheshire, and she's a lethal assassin. Have you heard of her?"

"I've heard rumors." Jade nodded.

"Yeah, well, what you heard is probably true. I've been tracking her for the past two years. And she sure is a challenge."

"What do you think of her?"

"What?"

"I mean, you must have had _some _encounters with her, right?" Jade crossed one leg over the other. "What's she like?"

Speedy shook his head. "She's dangerous. Slick on the side. Quick and sneaky. Better watch your back if you're chasing after her." Speedy drank from his mug, and Jade started to smile. When he looked back at her, the smile was gone.

"And personally?"

"I hate her," Speedy spat, and Jade felt something inside her crack. "She deserves to be in jail for all the hell she's done."

Jade was quiet after that, letting the bait sit there. So he genuinely liked one side of her, but he hated the other side of her. Perfect.

"Are you okay?" Speedy asked with a more gentle tone, catching her attention; her facial expression had changed, now more tense and nervous. He wondered what it was about?

"Have you ever thought..." Jade asked, meeting his gaze as she completed her sentence with, "that some villains are the way they are...because of the way they're brought up?"

"Hmm?"

"Some of these 'big villains'," she put air quotations, "had something happen to them in the past, leading up to what they do today. Statistics show. Is it the nature, or the nurture?" she asked rheotorically.

Speedy now had a thoughtful look on his face. "I see your point there..." He rubbed his chin. "Mmm...I guess you're right. But Cheshire's a different story."

"Different how?"

"She doesn't talk. How the hell am I supposed to give her a chance to explain herself?"

Jade smiled. "Ah. D'you think she's playing hard to get?"

Speedy snickered, and she giggled. "Naaaahh..."

"I'm just sayin'. She's an assassin, right? If she kills people, like her important targets that I suppose aren't normal people, then why hasn't she tried to kill you?"

Speedy shrugged. "I'm sure she's up to something. But I'll find out."

"Well, whatever you do..." Jade bit her lip a little. "just...be careful, alright?"

He smiled gently at her. "Don't worry, I will. I'm almost never alone, especially since I have a team that's got my back." He looked over his shoulder, and she even leaned over a little to the side in her seat to see herself; Bumblebee, Aqualad, Mas, and Menos-whom had been staring at them the whole time-whipped their heads back around as soon as they had been caught. Speedy rolled his eyes but grinned, and turned back to look at Jade. "Wanna meet them?"

"Um...I don't know..." Jade said nervously, holding her palms up. "Maybe I should just..."

"C'mon, they won't bite." Speedy stood up, waiting. Jade sighed in defeat, getting to her feet, and the two walked across the diner; as they got closer to the group of heroes, she subconsciously moved closer to Speedy. She surprised herself; Cheshire wouldn't hesitate to take them out or hurt them, but Jade was a completely different person. She wanted to flee.

"Yo," Bumblebee said brightly as if she had been minding her business.

"Hey," Speedy said, then he gestured towards Jade. "Guys, this is Jade. Jade, these are my friends: Bumblebee, Aqualad, Mas, and Menos." He pointed them out as he called them, and they waved and said hello to the newbie.

"Hi," Jade said with a wave. "Nice to meet you guys."

"So," said Speedy. "You doing anything today?"

"Um...not really no." Partial lie. "But something tells me that whatever I'm doing has to do with you guys..." She even smiled, giving Speedy a look as she put her hand on her hip.

Speedy grinned back at her, casually wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Whaddaya say coming back to the Tower and hanging out with us?"

Trying to ignore Speedy's distracting arm, she observed the others' facial expressions. Bumblebee looked eager because she was finally having another girl in the house, Aqualad had a friendly smile on his face, and Mas y Menos were nodding rapidly and beaming; they loved making new friends. New pretty friends especially.

Jade, after some thought, finally decided.

"Sure."

* * *

"Everyone!" Starfire said, flying in the Ops. Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg looked up from the kitchen table where they were eating lunch. "I have the announcement to make!"

"What is it, Star?" Robin asked.

Starfire smiled at him, her voice a little quieter. "Well...if you don't mind...I..."

"Yes?"

"I would like to have the sleepover!" Starfire threw her arms out with excitement.

Robin arched an eyebrow. "A sleepover?" Starfire nodded. "Okaaay...and who are you planning on inviting?"

"I would like to invite Bumblebee-" Starfire started.

"I say you let her have the sleepover!" Cyborg said automatically, and Robin rolled his eyes at him.

"Terra, if she is the available," Starfire continued carefully, and she looked at Beast Boy. "Beast Boy, have you been in touch with our friend lately?"

"'Course!" said Beast Boy. "I can totally convince her to come!"

Raven didn't look up from her book, but she wanted to say what was on her mind. She didn't like the sound of sleepovers, and she wasn't sure about Terra. Sure, she forgave her, but...

And Beast Boy looked a little too happy at the mention of Terra, but Raven let that slip out of her mind as soon as it came.

"Glorious!" Starfire clapped. "I was also planning on asking Jinx as well."

"That's it?" Robin asked to clarify.

Starfire nodded. flying over to him. "Can I?" she pleaded, batting her eyes and grasping his hands in both of hers.

"U-Uh...um..." Robin stammered. "I don't know, Star. I mean, what if something happens? We need to be-"

"A Titans sleepover is the best idea ever, Rob," said Cyborg.

"Yeah, dude," said Beast Boy. "Think about it! You've got us, plus, like, four more people! It would be even _better _if we invite the boys over too!"

"Like who?" Robin demanded.

"Oh, I don't know-Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash? Mas y Menos maybe?"

Robin hesitated. The more heroes, the merrier, right?

"And how's the sleeping situation gonna fall?" Robin asked next.

"We sleep in our own rooms, or wherever we collapse," Cyborg said, and Robin looked unsure. "C'mon, man! I built this tower inside and out. We have floors to fill! I can always install a few beds-"

"Or the girls and I can sleep in my room to save the space!" Starfire pitched up, and Cyborg pointed at her with a grin while nodding.

"Joy," Raven deadpanned.

Robin was quiet, observing everyone; Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg all looked pumped for the idea-so that was three 'yes's. Raven simply looked bored, so her answer was obviously, 'I don't care, just stay out of my room'.

He was outvoted.

"Well, I guess we should go grocery shopping and-"

"YAY!"

* * *

**I know what you're probably thinking.**

**'Wow, Jazz, first the ball, and now a _sleepover? _You're _so _original'.**

**Well guess what? I think it's time for me to join the bandwagon and add my twist to it. I love Titan sleepovers!**

**And besides...I've never read a sleepover fic that _included_ Cheshire...;) **


	8. Good Different

**Many of your reviews made me smile, giggle, and/or feel touched. Thank you guys so much for the support (:**

**I was let out of school early today (whoo, snow and freeziness!) So you can guess what I've been working on! ;D**

* * *

Starfire's sleepover was scheduled for next Saturday, which was three days from today. Starfire was in a very happy mood, so happy that she was practically bouncing all around the place.

"Oh friend, what shall we do today?" Starfire asked Raven, who regretted coming into the Ops. "Go to the mall of shopping? Do the painting of each other's nails before the sleepover? We must look our best!"

"Do we?" Raven deadpanned. Beast Boy looked up from where he sat on the couch playing video games, smiling when he saw Raven. Ever since they danced together, Raven tended to be slightly...nicer to him. She even allowed a hug every now and then, but Beast Boy's hugs always caught her off-guard and made her pale cheeks redden-which she always denied.

"Hey, guys," he said. "What's going on?"

Raven sat down next to him, arms crossed. "Starfire won't leave me alone."

Starfire's face fell. "Oh. I did not know that I was...bothering you..."

Raven automatically felt bad, and this made her jaw clench. Why does Starfire always do that? "Starfire, you know that's not what I meant. I already agreed that I would...participate...in your little sleepover. The least you could do is give me some space. I promise, when Saturday comes, we can hang out all you want."

Starfire's face brightened. "Really?"

Raven nodded.

Starfire was back to her giddy mood. "Wonderful!" she clapped. "I will see you later then!" Then she flew out of the room, most likely going to find Robin somewhere.

Raven sighed, now taking note of a certain someone's absence. "Where's Cyborg?"

"In his room, taking a transmission call," Beast Boy said with a snicker, then he continued with his game; unlike his posture before, he leaned back against the couch, and bringing himself a little closer to Raven.

Raven's eyes flickered towards the screen, and she saw his character shoot a zombie in the head, making blood splurt out of its forehead. Unlike the normal games he played, this one actually caught her...attention. Her favorite genre was horror, and she found an interest in zombies.

So she just sat there, watching him play; he seemed to know what he was doing, even though he lost a couple lives-which made him curse and she almost smiled. The graphics were impressive and realistic, unlike the cheap crap that she normally saw.

"What's that you're playing?" Raven asked.

Beast Boy was caught off guard. Okay this was new. Was she actually _interested _in this stuff? The reason why he got the game was in hopes that maybe she'll stand to sit next to him for an hour and a half, and it was _working? _"Zombie Slasher IV," he answered, his voice rising an octave in surprise, making his statement sound like a question. "It's rated M."

"Oh? And they allowed you to buy it?"

"Cy pulled a few strings." Beast Boy shrugged, as if it was a normal thing. "Besides, these games are better. The higher the rating, the higher the quality."

Raven's chin tilted up slightly. "I see..."

Beast Boy looked around himself, finding the abandoned controller, and offered it to her. "Wanna play?"

"No," Raven said automatically.

"C'mooooon," Beast Boy said, now singsonging, "You know ya want tooooo!"

Raven just stared at him; she looked around them, seeing that they were still alone, and sighed before snatching the controller away from him. "Just tell me how to play the damn thing."

TT

"Star's having a sleepover, eh?" Speedy said while rubbing his chin.

"Yep," Cyborg said, rubbing his hands together. "And you, Aqualad, and Mas y Menos are officially invited, by _moi_."

"Cool, Flash coming too?"

"Yep, bringin' the whole gang together," Cyborg answered. "So whaddaya say?"

"You know I'm coming, as well as Aqualad-you said that Terra chick will be there too?" When Cyborg nodded, so did Speedy. "Yeeeeah, he'll definately be there."

"What about your lady friend?"

"Jade?"

"That's her name, eh?" Cyborg winked, and Speedy rolled his eyes. "Why don't you let her tag along too? You did mention that she doesn't have any friends-Star would totally love her, and it would be a great way for her to connect with the girls."

"Would you guys mind?"

"Of course not. I'll let Starfire know when I see her."

Speedy smiled. "Great."

* * *

"Speedy's girl friend is coming?" Starfire almost squealed, and Cyborg nodded. Starfire beamed. "GLORIOUS! I CANNOT WAIT TO MEET HER!"

"Glad you think so, Star." Cyborg grinned.

"Awesome," Robin muttered under his breath. "More people."

The next day, Raven had agreed to hang out with Jinx since she was in the area; she liked hanging out with Jinx. The two had a lot in common; dark in personalities somewhat, and, though Raven will never admit it, they had the same taste in boys.

Always going for the goofballs. Never meant to. But it just happens.

"So where are we going?" Raven asked. They had stopped by the bookstore, and Raven's favorite dark cafe. The empath almost froze in her tracks when she saw that they were entering a tattoo/piercing shop.

"You can get one too, you know," Jinx said. "I'm getting one here and here," she pointed to the top and side of her ear, the helix-or cartilage.

"I already have my lobes pierced. I don't think I-" Raven started to say.

"Hold on." Jinx gripped Raven's shoulders, looking from her to the poster behind them, then back to her, and repeated this process a few times; then she started grinning. "I got it."

"Jinx, don't-"

"Excuse me!" Jinx waved her hand as she dragged Raven to the front desk. A girl with ruby red hair and tattoos on her arms smiled in a friendly way.

"May I help you guys?" she said.

"I'm here for a helix piercing up here-" She gestured towards the area, and the redhead nodded. -"and my friend here will have a nose piercing."

"A _what?" _Raven gasped.

"Oooh, yes, that's perfect," the redhead agreed, coming around the desk. "Right this way!"

"There is no way in hell that I'm letting you-" Raven tried, yet again.

And was interrupted, yet again, by the pink-haired control freak. "You won't be wearing hoops or anything-it's just a diamond stud! Easy and simple!"

"And with the color of your choice," the redhead added.

"No one asked you, Ruby Tuesday," Raven grumbled under her breath.

After being forced down in her chair by Jinx, Raven gave up and finally let them pierce her nose. She had no reaction, but continued to glower darkly at Jinx, who was happy when she got her piercings. As they walked out, Raven pulled her hood over her head, and thankfully her nose was unnoticable from prying eyes to stare at the silver stud.

"Remember," Jinx was saying, "you have to keep it clean, wash the area at least _twice _a day. Try not to touch it so much, 'cause it can get infected. And since you don't wear makeup, you don't have to worry about that part. And you can't take it off until-"

"It's a long time, _I know_!" Raven snarled. "Can't believe I let you..."

Jinx smiled sheepishly, then giggled. "You know...you look really nice with that nose piercing. After you are able to take it off, I bet that sapphire stud would look really pretty on you."

Raven's glare softened. "Really?"

Jinx nodded.

Raven felt a little better, but she still kept her hood up when she returned back to the Tower.

TT

"Hey, Rae! How was your day with Jinx?" Beast Boy asked as she walked in the room.

"Fine," Raven replied flatly without looking at him. "I'm going to my room. No one disturb me."

Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg exchanged confused glances, but knew not to question her otherwise.

She exited the Ops, but of course, Beast Boy followed her anyway.

"Raven!"

Raven recoiled; she knew she should have teleported to her room instead.

"Raven! Hey!" Beast Boy finally caught up with her, putting his hand on her shoulder to stop her. Raven whipped her head around sharply.

"_What?!" _she said through gritted teeth.

"Iono, you looked kinda pissed when you came in. What's up?" Raven's eyes, her narrowed and scary eyes, flickered pointedly to Beast Boy's hand, then back to his face several times. Beast Boy removed his hand quickly and took a step back; he wanted to keep it. "Sorry."

"It's nothing."

"Suuuuure."

"What do you _want?"_

_"_I want to talk to my best friend. Is that too much to ask?"

Raven's glare, like earlier with Jinx, softened; but on a different level. "What?"

"What?" Beast Boy echoed. Now he was confused.

"You...just called me..."

"What? My best friend?" When Raven nodded, Beast Boy grinned. "Why not?"

"I don't know." Raven crossed her arms timidly. "It's just that, well, ever since we've met, I'd never thought that you'd consider me..." she took a deep breath. "_more _than an acquaintance. Even after the Nevermore incident, I still treated you like you were..." Raven shook her head.

"Oh, c'mon. We fight, yeah, but it's never serious! I like it when we fight!"

Raven arched an eyebrow, and Beast Boy's ears turned pink. "You like it when we _fight?"_

"Yeah, I mean, that was the only way we communicated, besides out in battle. 'Sides, you're opening up a little more-which is _awesome_, and it's cool having conversations with you when it's not insults. I know we're all close in this team, but I think I feel more closer to you than anyone else-on a guy/girl level, know what I mean?"

Raven felt a warm feeling in her chest. "Oh. That's...sweet of you." Beast Boy grinned at that. "And...I _guess..._I would consider you my...best friend too."

Beast Boy's grin widened. "Sweet! So...back on subject here..." Raven's hint of a smile fell quickly, watching him put his arms behind his back and taking a step closer to her. "Mind telling your best guyfriend what's going on?"

Raven bit her lip. Great. She looked around them, making sure that they were alone, then grabbed his wrist and pulled him further towards her room. When they were standing just outside her door, she released his wrist, then with nervous fingers she pulled her hood off her head.

And then she looked up at him.

Beast Boy's eyes widen, but from what Raven could see and sense, nothing was bad. This made her feel a little relieved, but also uneasy and oddly getting a weak feeling in her legs at the way he was smiling at her now. It was different than all the others; normally, he'd give her a bright one-showing all teeth, a genuine one, with no teeth, and then a smirk, which meant he was up to something (and it was scary that she knew all of this). This one, which she had seen a while back, was...almost...flirty. Sultry.

Was he_ checking her out?_

Raven tried to push that thought aside. "Well?"

"Wow," Beast Boy breathed out. "This is, well, _different."_

"Good different...or bad different?"

Beast Boy-this guy was _really _pushing his limits today-took _another _step towards her. How much space was between them? Half a foot?

"Trust me." Beast Boy's eyes drifted down, and Raven shifted uncomfortably. No one's ever looked at her like that before. And she wasn't sure whether she liked it or not. Or loved. Or-wait, no. No. Stop that. "It's a good different."

Raven felt another feeling as she continued to stare into his eyes, coming to her cheeks, and she pulled her hood back over her head. "Thanks."

* * *

"C'mooooooooon," Speedy begged from the other end. He and Jade were chatting through another transmission call through their laptops on a Friday night. Jade was back home in Jump City; it was secluded from everything else, and had a great view of the lake that eventually led to the ocean and city; it was one-story, very chic and spacious, with some glass walls but no one knew she lived there. She liked it that way.

There was a change of plan when Speedy found out; at the last minute, Mas y Menos had promised Pantha that they'd go visit Guatemala for the weekend, and Pantha was eager to explore more Spanish speaking countries. And also, Kid Flash was taking Jinx somewhere that only the boys knew about; let's just say that Jinx would feel very...romanced.

Not like that.

Although Kid Flash wouldn't _mind..._

This left Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, Bumblebee, Aqualad, Terra, Speedy.

And Jade if he could convince her.

"I don't know, Speedy..." Jade said, playing with a strand of hair. "I'm not good with...making friends." There was a double meaning in her words.

"You got along with Bumblebee, Aqualad, and Mas y Menos just fine," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but..."

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Speedy gave her a pleading look, then said softly, "for me?"

Jade sighed. "You know I can't-"

"I really wanna see you," Speedy blurted out, then he started blushing. "U-uh, and so do the rest of us! Plus the Titans West are the sweetest people you'll ever meet!"

Jade's lips curved into a smile. His red cheeks were adorable. "Nice cover up."

Speedy smiled sheepishly. "So will ya? You did mention about never having girlfriends." He shrugged. "Bumblebee's already one, I'm sure?" Jade nodded. "Okay, and Terra is pretty sweet too, I've heard. Well...before, ya know. With the whole memory thing...Anyway. The only person you should probably watch out for is Raven. She's...not very social, so don't expect for her to start a conversation."

Jade's mind went back to that other night. She wondered if Raven was the one with purple hair and grey skin. She wanted to see Speedy again, there was no denying it. She mentally went through her schedule. Oh yes. She was free Saturday night, and she wasn't gonna let anything get in the way of that.

At the same time, she just didn't know. The Titans were heroes. Being surrounded by seven other supers easily outnumbered her. They could figure her out. Speedy would hate her. And that was the last thing she wanted. She didn't want to hurt him. In reality, she even developed a little crush on him; before leaving for Jump, she left at nightfall, only to prowl along the rooftops as Cheshire and watched Speedy and his team on their nightly patrols.

Stalking without attacking. This was a first.

Jade's feelings for Speedy were becoming less platonic the more they talked and hung out.

This was also a first. She didn't know what love felt like. Not family love, not friendly love, and certainly not _love _love.

So many complications. _She _wasn't the hero. _She _didn't spare lives. _She _didn't have friends who loved her.

Jade played with her fingers, looking down at them, and then she finally met his gaze.

"Alright. Just tell me where they live."

Like she didn't already know.

"It's a big ass T in the middle of the freakin' ocean, sittin on a little ass rock island. You can't miss it!"

Jade giggled.

* * *

**Sooo...**

**Raven secretly enjoys playing video games from the looks, gets a_ nose piercing_-against her will of course-and Beast Boy likes it...maybe a little _more_ than he should ;D And we also got some Speedy/Cheshire (or Jade, or whatever you prefer) goodness at the end.**

**And just wait until Starfire sees that piercing...**


	9. A Step Further

Starfire headed to the gym, where she knew Robin was getting his daily workout in; she just happened to have been wearing a soft pink tank top and the earthly 'booty shorts' that Cyborg and Beast Boy often called them (she didn't know that there were specific names such as these), as well as having her hair pulled back in a ponytail and some simple sneakers.

She stopped in the doorway, leaning against it as she watched Robin take out his adrenaline on the punching bag; he wore a white wife beater (Starfire prefered the term 'muscle shirts' because she did not know why a shirt would be named after a male beating his significant other), grey sweats, and sneakers. She smiled; there was a thin sheet of sweat, hinted along his bare and toned arms and the way the lights in the room shined on him.

Robin continued doing his combos, now switching from punches to jabs in the side and roundhouse kicks. As he spun, he caught sight of red, and smirked; showing off a bit, and with a grunt and, _"Kyai!" _his foot slammed down on the punching bag, causing it to break from its hinges and collapse on the floor.

He turned around, smiling at the Tamaranian as he took off his gloves. "Hey, Star."

"Am I interrupting?" Starfire asked, walking further into the room.

"I was just finishing up actually..." He took this moment to really appreciate the shortness of those shirts. Her legs looked so _endless. _He wagged his eyebrows. "Unless you came to spar. Then I _definately _take that challenge."

Starfire even arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

When Robin and Starfire would train together, the main rule was simple when they went against each other for the hand-to-hand combat stuff-no powers. Since Robin was a normal human being, Starfire had super strength, _flight, and _starbolts.

So for the next few minutes, they fought, but there was some playfulness. And since they were together now, there were more flirty moments between them; touches lingered, lips got close enough to touch. The wrestling matches would turn out quite interesting, but soon rather awkward because somehow Beast Boy and/or Cyborg would walk in and see Robin straddling Starfire suggestively.

And they wouldn't let that go for weeks.

As for kissing, well...for Robin's shyness and Starfire's naïve personality, they haven't gotten farther than long pecks. The two were also inexperienced; Robin always feared that he'd be awkward, and Starfire was always curious about the things she sees earthly couples do.

Which doesn't help at all, because she often voices her curiosity.

So when Starfire knocked Robin down to the floor, they shared yet another wrestle match; breathless laughter was heard as each tried to dominate on top of their significant other. Robin at one point, succeeded, pinning her arms to the floor and said, "Ha! Gotcha!" Of course, Starfire began to pout, and he instantly regretted it and asked if he had hurt her feelings.

Her response was an evil grin and she flipped them over, pinning _his _arms to the floor and straddling _him._ At Robin's shocked expression, she let out a cute giggle.

"I win," she said.

Robin pretended to be mad, narrowing his blue eyes at her; mysteriously, his mask came off somewhere between their sparring. "You evil, evil little princess." He chuckled. He tried to get up, but was stopped when Starfire's grip tightened. He couldn't move.

This is when he finally noticed her hair hanging in her eyes; since when did her ponytail come out? He couldn't help but like the way she looked with tossled hair; rumor has it, girls with long hair often look like that after a make out session.

Or even se-ahem.

She giggled once more, releasing her grip, and settled down on him fully. Big. Distraction.

Then she traced his jawline with her fingertips, making his eyes droop in relaxation. Now that his arms were free, he reached up, pushing her hair back and tucking the strands behind her ear. She leaned into his touch, cocking her head to the side.

"Robin?"

He knew that look. She was curious again. "Yes?" His voice almost shook.

Starfire opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again; to his surprise, she got up and walked a few feet away from him. He sat up, watching her do something that he does very often.

She paces.

"Starfire, what...?"

Starfire bit her lip, turning on her heel to face him. "I would like to ask you something, but...I do not know how to without sounding like the idiot..." she said shyly.

Robin got to his feet, coming closer to her. When they were a foot apart, he lowered his voice to a soft tone and said, "Kori, you can ask me anything. Why would I think of you as an idiot?"

Starfire steadied her breathing, but her heart still fluttered like a moth's wing. "I know we have been together for a short span of two weeks, but..." she licked her lips, and her gaze fell down on his lips. "I wish to try the making out with you."

Robin's heart gave a jerk, his throat now dry.

He didn't speak.

"I-I...My appologies. I should have never brought it up," Starfire said, starting for the exit. "Perhaps we shall-"

"Star, wait!" Robin grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him. "I'm sorry. You just...kinda took me off guard, that's all."

Starfire blushed.

"Do you, er, know what making out is?" Robin asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"The joining and parting of lips in a repeated pattern shared between two people..." Starfire's index fingers poked each other as she avoided his gaze. "We have merely...well...we have shared the lip contact, and I do enjoy it, but I can't help but...crave..._more_."

Robin gulped. _More. _That was always the word.

"Well, um, I can't deny that I feel the same," Robin said. "Just...I didn't want to push you to something you weren't prepared for. That _we _weren't ready for."

Starfire smiled at him. "That is very considerate of you." She took a small step closer to him, her gaze now lidded. "But...I believe that we are capable. May we give it a try?"

"I...guess...we could..." Robin smiled a little, then it fell as he looked at her lips; he looked back at her eyes, and could see that she had been doing the same. The space between them started to close. Her eyes closed, as well as his, and their lips met.

As soon as they parted, Starfire's eyes fluttered open to look at him; but he was already leaning in again, and she closed her eyes as his lips pressed against hers once again. With a reference of what she saw in the movies, she moved her lips again against his and felt a new sensation that she grew to like quickly. These kisses were slow and hesitant, neither person knowing what to do next.

Robin followed his instincts, ignoring his brain for once and let his hormones lead instead; he inclined his head a little, deepening the kiss, and he heard a surprised sound come from Starfire's throat. He almost came to a halt altogether, but her hands returned to his face, and her lips pushed back with more pressure than before. Good. He was doing something right; his hands, instead of wrapping his arms around her like he usually did, settled on her hips and pulled her closer to him.

She felt him shift, and she tilted her head the opposite way, beating him to it, and uniting their lips with a breathy gasp. He almost smiled, tilting his head the other way again, and she followed suite. His groping on her hips and the small of her back led to her groping his back and waist in return. The kissing pace increased, enough for the breathing to turn into pants, and that was when almost all the shyness disappeared.

The kisses turned almost open-mouthed. She gripped and tugged at his black locks, making them messy. He even had his fun with her hair, weaving his fingers through hers, balling his hand into a loose fist at the nape. Her red flames prickled on his arms, but he didn't care. She leaned on her tiptoes, nearly on his own feet as she kissed him with a newfound eagerness; he nearly had to strain his neck, she was almost _flying_.

Robin forgot about everything in the world. He forgot that they were in the gym. He forgot that they were in the Tower. He forgot that his teammates could walk in any second. All that mattered was Starfire. Koriand'r. _His _Kori. And for the moment, they were just two normal teenagers. Their cheeks were flushed, their lips becoming redder as they continued to kiss each other. Hair was a mess. Bodies were on fire. Butterflies fluttered.

And just as Starfire slid down his body, her feet making contact with the ground, and her arms around his neck keeping him close, red lights flashed around the room. The two broke apart, breathing heavily as they looked around.

"Robin! Trouble!" they heard Cyborg yell down the hallway.

"Coming!" Robin yelled back, then looked down at a dazed Starfire; he smiled. "Let's go."

Starfire seemed to have snapped out of it, touching her lips, and looked up at him. "Yes...Let's."

They shared a quick but passionate kiss, then ran out to go change.

* * *

"Yeah, yeah," Beast Boy was saying as he walked aimlessly around the kitchen, cell phone up to his ear. After the Titans had handled their usual business, they went grocery shopping; and Beast Boy and Cyborg teased Robin nonstop about his appearance before they had left. Raven just left it alone; _she_ doesn't say anything about their private activities. _They _don't comment on her nose ring; and speaking of which, the reactions were genuinely positive, including an ear-piercing squeal on Starfire's part. "It's the usual stuff. Random robbery, but we handled it."

_"Why am I not surprised by that?" _came Terra's voice from the other end, and they both laughed. "_M'kay, well, I'm here."_

"You are?"

_"Yep. Brother just dropped me off."_

"And he didn't bother to come and say _HI?"_

_"I know right!"_

"Haha, ah well. Maybe next time. The door's open."

_"Thanks. See ya."_

"See ya." Beast Boy hung up. "Terra's on her way up," he informed.

"YAY!" Starfire cheered, getting to her feet and floating over to where Beast Boy stood. Cyborg nodded, his eyes on the video game he was playing, Robin was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at the newspaper, and Raven was curled up on the far end of the couch with a book.

"C'mon, guys, Terra deserves a little more than that," Beast Boy said, beckoning them all over.

Cyborg paused the game reluctantly-he was on a roll-Robin got up from his seat, and Raven sighed heavily as she closed her book and stood.

Just as the five Titans were almost fully formed in a semi circle, the Ops doors opened.

And there Terra was, with a backpack on her back. Unlike the way that she used to wear her hair, her usual style now was a slight wave and had with more hair on one side than the other; in other words, it looked like she had bent over, then snapped back up. Now that she was wearing casual clothes, which fitted her quite nicely, Raven noticed that the stick she once knew had filled out and blossomed. She was still thin, yes, but there were noticable changes in her cup size and hips.

"TERRA!"

Starfire flew to the blonde, glomping her in a tight hug.

"Hey, Starfire," Terra gasped, managing to pat her on the back. "How are you?"

"I am well! How are you? Did you make it okay? Are you hungry? Would you like a snack? Or perhapswecancatchupanddotheg irltalking?"

"Uhh..Good, yes, definately, sure, and...whatever you want," Terra answered each question, much like when they first met, and ended with a smile.

Starfire giggled happily, then flew into the kitchen to get Terra something to eat.

"Hey," Beast Boy greeted, walking up to Terra with open arms, and the two embraced.

"Hey, BB." Terra smiled at him, and he returned it before stepping aside.

Then she faced the others.

"Long time no see, Rock Star," Cyborg said, holding his arms out for a hug. Terra smiled again, and accepted his embrace. He rubbed her back and said, "Next time you come around, don't be a stranger, a'ight?" He pulled back and smiled down at her.

Terra giggled. At least their friendship was on the horizon.

She faced Robin, and automatically held out her hand for a handshake. Robin met Starfire's gaze over Terra's shoulders and sighed with a little smile, taking Terra's hand and shook it, then pulled Terra close for a side hug.

"Good to see you, Terra," he said.

"Back at cha," Terra replied, then her eyes met a pair of purple orbs.

Raven continued to stare at Terra, and the blonde had no idea what was coming. It was possible that Terra's betrayal had affected her the most, besides Beast Boy. With a glance at the celing, and the jerk of her head, the empath left the room with her book under her arm. Terra exchanged glances with Beast Boy; nervously, she took her backpack off, dropping it, and jogged out of the Ops to catch up with Raven.

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun.**

**What's gonna happen between Raven and Terra?**

**Review and see! At this moment, I'm working on the next chapter. When it comes to friendship and bonding, I tend to get excited! No school for me today! Thank you icey weather ^.^**

**And the RobStar moment in the beginning...It's been a while since I've written a kissing scene like that. Hope ya liked it!**


	10. A Talk Long Overdue

**Hey guys! This chapter's a little short. Ah, well xP The good stuff starts next. Yay, sleepover stuff!**

* * *

Raven opened the door to the roof and stepped out, with Terra a few feet behind; the sky was still a bright blue. It would be a few hours before the sun would start setting. Raven continued to walk until she reached the edge and looked out towards the city; her cloak and hair blowed in the soft breeze.

Terra stayed behind her still, backtracking to Raven; all she remembered was the feeling of rivalry, and something murky...like...mud? _Yes, we must have fought_, she thought. _I think I remember it now...God, what was I thinking then?_

"Whatever I did..." Terra broke the silence. "I'm so sorry, Raven," she walked up until she stood beside her; but still kept a reasonable distance, "I really am."

"I already forgave you," Raven replied, no emotion on her face. "A long time ago."

"Then why do I get a feeling that you...still don't like me?"

Raven finally turned, "I never said I didn't like you. It took me a while before I got used to you, and then you go right ahead and betray my trust that quickly. And then we fought, and you taunted me, brought out my inner demon. Let me remind you that I don't take things like that very lightly. When you came back, and that night when you bumped into me, I sensed that something was..._off _about you. I knew something was wrong from the beginning."

Terra held out her hands in front of her, "Is there any way we can become friends again? Or even close to that category?"

Raven didn't answer right away.

"If you don't believe me, then just touch me! Try to prove me wrong," Terra suggested.

Raven arched an eyebrow, and before she could reply, the blonde placed her hand on the empath's upper arm; at her touch, Raven's body nearly gave a little jerk as she got a brief picture; it was a picture of three Terra's-on the left was Terra when they first met her, on the right was when she was Slade's apprentice, and in the middle was a timid and powerless Terra in the present, clutching her arms; she wore her school uniform.

And, after a couple seconds, Raven came out of her vision.

"You _are_ telling the truth..." Raven murmured.

Terra sighed, "I'm so glad you see it now." And without warning, she wrapped her arms around Raven's shoulders and hugged her. Raven stiffened. "I know things were terrible between us in the past, but I really wanna change that. Being back with you guys remind me of a...happier time. The more I'm with you guys, the more I remember."

Raven awkwardly returned the embrace, patting Terra's back. Terra pulled back and smiled at her.

Raven didn't return it. "This doesn't automatically make us the best of friends. Any friend of _mine _takes a lot of time before I can trust them. And if you were smart, you wouldn't push it."

"Like Beast Boy?" Terra snickered, but she understood.

Raven cracked a smirk. "Exactly."

"Duuuuuude!" Beast Boy gapped when they had came back. "Terra's _alive!"_

Raven glowered in his direction while Terra put her hands on her hips and was skeptical.

"What, two people can't talk?" Terra demanded.

"Yeah," Beast Boy shot back, then muttered, "not without killing each other..."

TT

Nightfall rolled around, and by then Titans East-excluding Mas y Menos-were there. While they were waiting for Jade to turn up, Starfire and the girls sat around the kitchen table with a big map on it; the alienness was pointing out all the places they could go. Robin and the boys were taking turns going against each other in a racing video game.

Speedy's leg wouldn't stop bouncing, and Aqualad noticed this first since he was sitting next to him.

"Speedy, calm down," he said. "Jade will turn up any sec!"

"She could possibly be the 'fashionably late'!" Starfire piped up from the kitchen, holding her index finger up.

At the mention of her name, Cheshire landed smoothly on the roof; she dusted herself off, removing her mask, then shook her hair around herself. Then, she brought out her backpack, stripping down to her underwear and put her costume in a secret compartment. She then took out a tank top, a jacket, and skirt, putting the items on quickly. After sliding on her ballet flats, she got to her feet and fluffed her hair.

Jade maneuvered her way down the tower, landing smoothly on her feet after taking a leap. She rang the doorbell and waited.

Speedy gasped. "That's her!" He gripped Beast Boy's shoulders, catching the changeling off guard. "THAT'S HER!"

"Yay!" Beast Boy said with an unsure look.

"Would you be more comfortable if you answered the door?" Robin asked.

"DUH!" Speedy sped out of the room, putting Kid Flash and Mas y Menos to shame. He was out of breath by the time he was in the entryway, calming himself as he approached the door. After doing a quick check, smoothing his hair back, he opened the door. "Hey there," he greeted with a hair flip.

Jade giggled. "Hey." He let her in, closing the door behind her, and scooped her up in his arms for a hug.

"Glad you could make it." He set her down.

"Me too," Jade replied.

Speedy then took her by the hand and led the way upstairs to the Ops.

The doors slid open, and the two stepped through. And, like expected, Starfire was right there. Jade took a step back as the alienness obliviously invaded her personal space.

"Curiosity abounds! Please, where did you come from, how did you get here, what is your favorite color, do you wish to be my friend?" Her smile was wide as she advanced on the girl.

"Um...Jump, walked, green, and...okay?" Jade managed.

"GLORIOUS!" Starfire clapped. "My name is Starfire, and it is so nice to meet your acquaintance!" she glomped Jade in a tight hug, knocking the breath out of the poor girl.

"Nice-to-meet-you!" Jade gasped, and Starfire released her.

Terra giggled, getting up to greet next. "Starfire did the same thing to me when we met," she said, sticking out her hand. "I'm Terra."

Jade shook her hand. "Jade."

"Jade? Nice to meet you!"

"Same." Jade smiled.

"I'm Bumblebee," Bumblebee said next, waving. "But, you already knew that."

Jade giggled. "It's good to see you, Bumblebee."

"And that is my best friend, Raven!" Starfire pointed to the empath, who hadn't gotten up from her seat at the table. Raven nodded at Jade with a little smile, and Jade returned it.

"Lemme introduce you to the boys," Speedy said, wrapping his arm around Jade's shoulders and pulling her along. The boys had their game paused. "You know Aqualad," Aqualad smiled and waved at Jade, who did the same, "and this is Beast Boy, Robin, and Cyborg." Jade shook their hands, exchanging friendly greetings.

"Nice to finally meet ya, lil lady," Cyborg said. "Speedy talks about you all the time."

"Cy!" Speedy complained with pink cheeks, and Jade giggled.

"Friend Jade! You must join us females!" Starfire grabbed Jade's hand, now pulling her along. "We shall get to know each other better by playing the games of sleepover and do the boy talking and the painting of each others' nails!"

Jade was caught off guard, feeling her body come off the ground as the flying redhead zoomed down the hallway with the girls in tow. Raven sent her an apologetic glance, and Jade just smiled sheepishly.

"Wow..." Beast Boy said after the girls left. "She's a keeper, dude."

Robin and Cyborg snickered.

"Man, whatever." Speedy sat on the arm of the couch, lounging now. "She's totally worth it."

"Wiiifeeeey," Beast Boy singsonged under his breath, and Robin chuckled.

"AYE, MANE! GET YO ASS OFF THE ARM OF MY COUCH!"

"...Sorry, Cyborg."


	11. Boy and Girl Talk

**Heyo peeps! I've come up with an AWESOME plot mixing in with this current one! I'm so excited xDDD**

**But for now, enjoy the sleepover and romance awesomeness ;D**

* * *

The girls were hitting it off pretty well in Starfire's room. After doing the painting of nails and putting on the sleepwear, they conversed amongst each other; Starfire, Bumblebee, Terra, and Jade were on the floor-either sitting up or laying down in some lazy position-while Raven was laying on Starfire's bed, book open in front of her and her legs up behind her. Since Starfire, Bumblebee, and Terra did most of the talking, Jade didn't have to talk much, which she felt completely at ease about.

"What shall we do now?" Starfire asked, examining her neon nails; her thumbs and middle fingers had half and half colors, green on one side and yellow on the other. On her index and pinky fingers were also half and half colors, pink on one side and orange on the other. Her ring fingers had a horizontal design of colors, going from green to yellow to orange and to pink, going all the way down; and on each side were black tiger stripes, done by Bumblebee herself. The same patterns went the same for her toes.

"We haven't talked about boys yet," Bumblebee said with a smirk; her finger and toenails were black and yellow stripes, along with a bumble bee painted on her index fingers and big toes.

"Ooooh." Terra grinned. Her nails were red and black, designed to look like lady bug wings.

"Wonderful suggestion!" Starfire clapped. "Raven! Please join us! A promise is a promise, yes?"

Raven sighed, her black fingernails coming across her bookmark and sliding it in her novel; she closed it, then sat up. Starfire patted the empty spot next to her, for the other side was taken by Bumblebee, with Jade next to her, then Terra. Raven got up, fighting the urge to roll her eyes, and took the space, now sitting between Starfire and Terra.

"Let's just get this over with." Raven rested her cheek against her palm.

"Don't worry, Rave, what's said in this room stays in this room!" said Bumblebee. "'Sides, all you gotta do is be honest! We're your girls. You can tell us anything." She made the tiniest of gestures between herself and Starfire, but she did it in a goofy way that made Terra laugh, Jade scoff playfully, and Raven crack a smile; even Starfire was nodding along with Bee in agreement.

"Shall I start?" Starfire asked.

"Go ahead." Bumblebee smiled at her.

"Well..." Starfire smiled back. "As you know, Robin and I are together now."

"About damn time..."

"Bumblebee!"

"What?" Bumblebee asked innocently. "I'm just sayin'! Continue please, hon."

"Very well." Starfire's cheeks turned pink. "Now that we are the boyfriend and girlfriend, he is...less oblivious and actually has a very sweet side. At first I was afraid that he'd stay the same and be focused morely on our hero life than our personal..."

"Is he?" Terra asked.

Starfire shook her head, smiling wider. "It is the opposite. He's letting loose some. It has taken some time, yes, but I have a good feeling about us." She turned bashful, biting her lip and blushing harder as she hugged herself.

"_Aww!" _the girls chorused in unison.

"Enough about myself." Starfire turned a little in Bumblebee's direction. If Starfire continued, she'd go on for hours about her dark-headed boyfriend.

"Looks like I'm up!" Bumblebee said. "Alright..." She got a mischievous look on her face. "Where to start, where to start...Hmm. Well, my feelings for Sparky can't be summarized in two sentences."

"If Starfire can do it, so can you," Raven pointed out, and Starfire had a playful hurt look on her face. Raven cracked a smile.

"Truuueeee," Bee imitated 2 Chainz. "Okay. So...I guess I started crushin' on him when he came back to sabotage Brother Blood, and we had to work together. I enjoyed picking on him." She giggled. "Since we were natural born leaders, we clashed a lot. Then my feelings grew when he came back to help Titans East out-that was an excuse to spend more time with him. But since he came back to Jump, we've still been in touch. He makes me feel...like I'm important. Like in a way more than just a Titan or teammate."

"Oh, do Aqualad, Speedy, and Mas y Menos not appreciate-?" Starfire started with narrowed eyes.

"Of course they do!" Bumblebee reassured. "But, uh...they consider me as one of the boys most of the time. And Sparky is the only guy in the world who makes me feel like...a girl."

"_Aww!" _the girls chorused again.

"And have you talked about the feelings?" Starfire asked.

Bumblebee nodded. "We're still talkin', but I guess we're...huh. I don't know what we are right now. But I'd say he's my boo thang, and vice versa." Starfire was the only one who looked confused. "Like friends with benefits," Bee added.

"Oh!" Starfire smiled, glad that she understood.

The girls turned on Jade next.

"Sooooo," Bumblebee sing-songed, and the girls giggled. "What's goin' on between you and Speeeeedy?"

Jade shrugged, but her blush gave her away. "We're just friends."

"Friend-Zoned!" Bumblebee called, and Terra and Starfire giggled. "But seriously, girl! AQ's been tryin' to set Speedy up ever since they met! And _you're _the only one who he really likes."

Jade was surprised, now looking hopeful. "Really? What does he think of me?"

"Looks like someone's curious," Terra uttered under her breath.

"You're the cherry to his pie, sweety," Bumblebee said, and Jade's eyes widened. "Not like that, you-!" Jade, Starfire, and Terra giggled while Raven smirked. "But yeah, he totally digs ya. Go for it."

Jade bit her lip. "Here's the thing..." she took a deep breath, looking at the friendly faces around her. Her words became soup, and she stumbled over them. "I-I...w-w-well, I...what...what if...what if he...?"

"What is the matter, friend?" Starfire asked with concern.

"It's just..." Jade froze. _What am I doing?! I just met them! If they knew who I really was...if _Speedy_ knew...They'd all hate me forever. _"You know how...everyone has different sides of them?" The girls nodded, and she continued hesitantly; they were staring at her with pure interest. "Well, I never really had friends, so this side of me is so new to all of this...the..._other _side of me has grudges against...past events..." Jade ran her fingers through her black locks. "What if he...what if you guys won't like...the r_eal _me?"

"We have no right to judge you," Starfire told her earnestly.

"Starfire's right," Bumblebee agreed, and Terra nodded.

"We've...all been through some messed up stuff." Raven spoke up and the room went quiet as the two girls looked at each other. "But that doesn't mean that we let that affect us today. Look at me-my mother used to support Satan and my father's a demon. That doesn't keep me from being a hero or having friends who...love me through all my flaws." Starfire and Bumblebee smiled at that.

"Don't ever regret being friends with the Titans," Terra added, thinking about some of her memories. "Even after all that I'd done, they still tried to help me in the end." she shrugged.

"That's right," Starfire murmured, nodding.

"We're not saying that you have to tell us all ya business," Bumblebee said, and Jade let out a sigh in relief. "You know, we just met you. But if you feel like it-if you're comfortable with it, you can count on us."

"All of us!" Starfire beamed, and Jade smiled.

"I'll take that into consideration," Jade replied.

"Now, back to your feelings for Speedy!" Starfire chirped. "Please do the sharing!"

"Alright, alright," Jade held her hands up. "I'll confess-I really like Speedy. He's cute, funny, and I admire his heroics..."

"You mean his costume?" Bumblebee guessed, and Jade's cheeks turned a bright pink. "Oh come _on! _All the guys down in the Ops besides Sparky wear _tights."_

"Skin...tight..." Terra said in a dazed tone.

"Nicely...fitting..." Starfire matched Terra's tone.

"Agreed..." Jade sighed.

The girls looked around at Raven.

"What?" the empath deadpanned.

"Don't you ever wonder if Beast Boy wears anything underneath his costume?" Bumblebee asked, and Raven's eyes widened in surprise.

"_Bee_!" Terra gasped.

"What? Rumor has it some guys don't," Bumblebee said with a shrug.

"Okay," Raven said, holding up her finger as the girls giggled; the laughter died down as she continued, "I would know for a fact that Beast Boy still wears underwear underneath his costume."

"And how do you know?"

Raven shrugged. "I have a habit of giving wedgies."

Starfire giggled. "It is true! All of our male teammates wear the undergarments."

"Damn," Bumblebee snapped her fingers.

"Aqualad's gorgeous!" Terra blurted out, and attention was on her. "I mean...yeah." She smiled cheekily. "Just putting it out there."

"Diggin' on Sea Boi?" Bumblebee asked, and Terra nodded.

"He's a...very good looking friend." Terra blushed. "He's such a gentleman, and he's sweet and charming."

"That's what everyone says," Bumblebee said almost flatly. "All the girls dig him, 'specially in the Titans."

"We do not!" Starfire and Raven protested while blushing.

"Exhibit A and B." Bumblebee gestured towards her two closest friends, and Terra and Jade giggled. "Anyways, I think he digs you too, girl! Like Speedy over here, I can tell that Aqualad likes you. A _lot."_

"We just met though!" Terra moaned.

"I don't give a damn!" Bumblebee's voice rose octaves at the swear. "Didja know in most fairy tales, people get married within the course of three days of knowing each other? You try that in the streets and you'll have baby mama drama! PUH-LEASE! You guys act like you've known each other for years. And like I've told Jade here, GO FOR IT. Get you soooome! Smack that!"

"Oh Azar," Raven facepalmed herself.

"Just for that it's now your turn, missy!" Bumblebee turned on her, and so did the other girls. "You and Beast Boy. Spill."

"Uh..." Raven was very quiet after that. "Come again?"

"You hurrr meh!"

"What's there to spill?" Raven said. "There's nothing going-"

"I apologize for interjecting and using the fowl language," Starfire said, looking at Bumblebee and then Raven as she continued, "but, Raven, I wish for you to stop the...'shit of bull'?" She stole a glance at Bumblebee, who gave her an unsure nod.

"You heard her." Bumblebee crossed her arms, smug.

Raven sighed, and her heartbeat started to speed up. "I don't..."

"Rae-Rae, I know you got feelings for Beast Boy-and I bet you a hundred bucks that he feels the same!"

"He likes another girl." Raven shook her head. "He told me."

"HMMM, REALLY?" Raven nodded. "Did he give a description?"

"Um, yeah...kinda. He said that..." The empath left the Terra part out, "sometimes she treats him like he doesn't exist, but he knows she does." Raven shrugged.

"Raven, honey, you are so _slow_!"

"What?"

"He was talking about _you! You're _the only girl who treats him like he doesn't exist, and you know he does but you ignore him. _He _was the one-_the only one-_to get you to dance with him."

"And to _slow dance_!" Starfire added.

"And ya'll looked like ya'll were havin' fun. I saw you giggle."

"And you did the smiling."

"And you were blushin'."

"I was not!" Raven protested, and her cheeks felt hot. "Look, Beast Boy said that I was his best friend-"

"Because he _probably_ feels closer to you than any other girl!" Bumblebee pointed out, and Raven was quiet then. "Ha! I win."

"Okay..." Raven scooted closer in the circle, and the girls leaned in intently. "I'll...I'll admit it...Beast Boy may be the most immature and annoying person on the planet, but he..._can _be really sweet and loyal...-"

"Woof," Bumblebee muttered, and snickers went around the circle.

Raven shot Bumblebee a look before continuing, "and since we've been hanging out more, he's been...bringing me out of my shell. I let him...um..."

"Let him what?" Terra asked, curious and wide-eyed.

"Do what a best guyfriend does." Raven shrugged. "Hug me. Be around me more. And lately we've been...becoming more like each other, which scares me."

"Why?" Starfire scooted closer.

"_He's _matured a little. Sometimes whenever I read, he'd sit next to me and, instead of playing video games, he'd pull out a comic book. And for me-"

"You have been caught using the phrase 'dude'," Starfire said, and Raven's eyes widened. Bumblebee was amused that Starfire had pronounced "dude" like 'dood'. "I notice these things." Starfire giggled.

"So..." Raven continued timidly. "I've decided that I_...like him_. Maybe even love. But I don't know..." She looked at Starfire. "You know why I can't. Why _we_ can't."

"Your emotions?" Starfire guessed, and Raven nodded.

"That's messed up." Bumblebee shook her head. "You need to find a way to be with that boy. It's obvious that he wants you to have his babies!"

"_Bee_!"

"Okay, okay, I'm done!"

TT

Meanwhile, the boys were doing the same thing; talking about girls. With the TV playing a random show, the five guys were hanging around on the couch and the floor, all in their pajamas (excluding Cyborg). Robin, Speedy, and Cyborg had already poured their hearts out about Starfire, Jade, and Bumblebee.

"Yeah, Terra's a sweetheart," Aqualad was saying after describing many attractive characteristics about the blonde. "I really like her." He looked over at Beast Boy. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Why're you asking me?"

"Uhhh, because you _dated _her?" Speedy said in an isn't-it-obvious tone.

"Terra and I never _dated_, dated," Beast Boy clarified, and the rest came out in a rush, his teeth gritting at the end. "We just went out once and it was all a trick and Slade pretty much just ruined my life for the rest of that week and as you guessed I was _probably_ pretty pissed!"

Robin patted Beast Boy on the back.

"But yeah, do your thing, Aqualad," Beast Boy said, relaxing as he sank back against the cushion of the comfy couch. "I already have feelings for someone."

"Who?"

The Ops doors opened, and Raven walked through with her hands in her jacket pockets; she looked in their direction as they looked at her, and she continued walking towards the cabinet.

Beast Boy, now excited and giddy, legit flew over the couch and raced over to Raven as she got out a couple bags of chips and placed them on the counter. "Hey, Rae!"

"Hey-_whoa-" _Raven started a greeting, but was caught off-guard as the changeling wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and spinning her around; she clutched his back, her feet coming off the ground. The guys were smirking at Raven's faintly pink cheeks.

The Ops doors opened again, and the girls walked through just in time to see Beast Boy set Raven down.

"What's up?" Beast Boy asked her.

"Um...I was gonna take these chips to..." Raven began, until she spotted her friends and her eyes narrowed. "I thought _I'm_ supposed to bring the food to _you_ guys?"

"You were the one who suggested while walking out on a dare that Starfire didn't get to finish," Terra pointed out.

"Why do I have a feeling this is going to be bad?" Raven made a face.

"Do not worry, friend! It's fairly simple!" Starfire said, pulling Bumblebee into the kitchen. "My dare is for you and Bumblebee to..." and then she whispered in Raven's ear, then Bumblebee's.

It surprised Bumblebee that she wasn't the only one smirking, because a smile spread across Raven's face.

"Fine. I'm in," she said.

"Oooh, oooh! What's the dare?" Beast Boy asked eagerly as the guys got up in curiosity.

"Easy," Bumblebee said, looking at the half-robot. "Hey, Sparky-go get me and Raven the two video game controllers."

Beast Boy and Cyborg's jaws dropped to the floor.

* * *

**Oooh! See what I did there?**

**Ya know how Beast Boy and Cyborg always play video games? Well, Starfire's dare has_ Raven_ and _Bumblebee_ playing against each other! I've always wanted this to happen in a story! Whoot!**


	12. You Ever Thought About Being A Hero?

**Hey guys! Here's the last part to the sleepover! I would've added more detail, but that would take a lot more chapters xP We need to get further into the plot and BBRae arc!**

**And BTW: When you watch Vampire Diaries kissing and love scenes, you get a _lot _of inspiration. Just sayin'. It changes you...o.O **

**;D**

* * *

"There's no way this is happening right now!" Beast Boy exclaimed, he and Cyborg standing behind the couch now, watching the girls play with interest. The others lingered around too, but they were mostly caught up in each other's conversations.

"Believe it, man!" Cyborg said with a grin. "I believe _my girl's _winnin'."

Bumblebee liked the sound of that and her own grin widened.

"Whatever. Winner or loser, I'm _totally _on Raven's side." Beast Boy smiled proudly down at his best friend. "You can do it, Rae!"

He didn't see the empath blush as she replied, "Thanks."

"Oh..." Bumblebee's black and yellow car passed Raven's blue and purple one, getting to her feet. "OH! In YO FACE, GOTH GIRL!"

Raven was on her feet, and she felt Brave seeping through her veins. Her emoticlone was in full affect, but Raven was also in control. "We'll see, Sting Butt!" Her car crashed into Bumblebee's, throwing her off course and Raven gained speed. "Ha! Oh yeah!"

"...No you di'in't," Bumblebee said, looking at her now smug friend.

"Duuuuuude!" Beast Boy grinned wide, now beside Raven.

"WHAT?!" Cyborg was on Bumblebee's other side.

"Oh it's not over yet, don't worry, Sparky." Bumblebee and Raven returned their gazes on the video game screen. Her car caught up with Raven's, and just as Raven was about to win, Bumblebee knocked her car off course. Bumblebee squealed, jumping up in the air and pumped her fist up in victory; Cyborg was doing a little dance, while Raven looked a little disappointed; old Raven was back, and Brave was back in Nevermore. "YES! I WIN!" Bee and Cyborg hugged each other, and she kissed him on the cheek, making him smile wide and blush.

"It's okay, Rae," Beast Boy said, wrapping his arm around Raven's shoulders and pulled her to his hip for a side-hug. "Better luck next time. I still think you did awesome!"

Raven shrugged, though touched by his comment. "Thanks, I guess. It was a one time thing."

"Afraid of loosin' again?" Bumblebee countered, hands on her hips.

A little irritated at her friend, including not just a smug victory but breaking up a little moment Raven was having with Beast Boy, Raven crossed her arms and crossed the small space until she was in Bee's face. "Rematch. Later." Her eyes narrowed. "_Dude."_

Bumblebee was still smug, and Beast Boy's eyes brightened at Raven used his vocabulary; he loved that he was rubbing off on her.

"Looks like your dare made Raven step out of her shell," Robin said, walking over to where Starfire sat, which was on one of the stools. He placed a bowl of various candies in front of her and took one; he tore the wrapper with his teeth and plopped the red, chewy candy in his mouth. Chewing, he watched as Starfire picked out a green one, opening it with her fingers, and ate it.

"I have never done Truth or Dare before, and I didn't want anybody feeling...less comfortable," said Starfire.

Robin smiled, pausing his chewing to lean down and peck her on the lips, which made her smile. "You're sweet, Star, but I think that's kind of the point of the game. Have any of the other girls taken any dares?"

Starfire nodded, smiling. "Some of them were quite silly!"

"Lucky," Robin said. "When us guys play, it's far from silly."

"I...do not understand." She cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Star, put five sixteen year old, hormone crazed teenage boys together. Do the math and you get...?"

Starfire giggled. "I understand. Most of these involve doing more-than-platonic activities with females?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders. "Guess you could say that." He smiled crookedly at her.

"Bumblebee suggested some, well..._suggestive _dares for all of us," Starfire admitted as he sat down next to her. "And, even though _we_ are indeed romantically involved, it made the rest of us feel quite uncomfortable."

"Understandable." Robin nodded, and with a softer look, he reached and placed his hand over hers. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Kori. You know that, right?"

Starfire nodded, then she sighed and dropped her head on his shoulder; in a natural motion, his free arm wrapped around her and kept the alieness snug against him. She relaxed into him, wrapping an arm around his torso and continued, "I do. But, Dick...sometimes I feel like...I _should _be doing them, you know? Being able to do the stepping outside a cardboard box, like Raven when it came to playing the video games." She felt him nod, his lips pressing against her temple; his distracting thumb stroked back and forth on her bare shoulder.

"It's your sleepover," Robin pointed out, and she looked up to see him smile. "The dares can always go _your _way."

Starfire smiled too. She felt loads better.

* * *

The next morning, Speedy and Robin were up early, working out in the gym; or rather, Roy and Dick, since they were maskless. The ginger's eyes were a beautiful shade of green; and, like Dick, his orbs were memerizing and sure were something to look at. While Dick was doing pull ups with one hand, his feet drifting down and barely touching the ground before he pulled himself right back up; a thin sheet of sweat dewed his skin, making his bangs stick to his forehead. Speedy was taking his adrenaline out on one of Dick's punching bags; he had his hands wrapped up in white hand wraps. He was sweating just a little, too like Dick.

Last night had been pretty amazing; everyone got along and clicked, and they stayed up for hours. They all talked, laughed, and yes-they played Truth or Dare, which eventually led to all kissing dares. Robin and Starfire had shared the most with pride (and he enjoyed every moment of it), and they even got Cyborg and Bumblebee to lock lips (they were the second to the two, and their friendship is very questionable at the moment). Aqualad and Terra shared a few pecks while blushing, and Speedy scored a kiss with Jade (It had been just a peck, but longer and lingering at that). The only two who hadn't made any lip contact were Beast Boy and Raven; Raven utterly refused automatically, but Beast Boy ended up giving her five kisses on the cheek that night, each time making the empath blush; he was very proud of himself.

Jade, who had gotten the cute nickname, "Jadey" from Terra, had woken up and wandered down the hallway; wearing a grey cami and black spandex shorts, she moved as silent as the tower. The faint pounding sound caught her attention, and she ventured closer in curiosity.

Her question was soon answered when she came to a stop at the threshold of the gym, watching the two maskless heroes work out; her gaze, however, lingered on the ginger's strong backside. Even though he was wearing a shirt, and a muscle tee at that, his muscles were prominent against the fabric and the way it hugged him showed off his attractive shoulder blades.

She felt her mouth drop an inch.

"Hey," Dick suddenly said as he jumped down to the floor, making Roy pause for a second. "Looks like we've got company." He grabbed a towel nearby and wiped his face, then put his mask back on; Jade hadn't seen either of their eyes before, including now because Roy's back was turned and Dick's hair was in his face. Now she was more curious than before.

_He's good, _Jade thought. _Batman trained him well._

Robin tossed something slender, white with black outlining, and Speedy caught it without looking in his friend's direction; he smoothed his mask over his eyes, and stilled the swinging punching bag.

"Good morning, Jade," Robin greeted, drinking a bottle of water. "Sleep good?"

Jade nodded. "How long have you two been up?"

"About an hour or so. I always like to get a good work out in before the others wake up," Robin explained. "Anyone else up?"

Jade shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"Right. Well," Robin looked at his watch, "it's almost ten. I'll go wake the others up. See you later."

"Kay," Jade replied as Robin brushed past her, then she walked further into the room. "I'm sorry," she said. "Have I interrupted...?"

Speedy finally turned as she came up to his side, smiling down at her. "Of course not. I was just finishing up actually."

"Well, you _know_..." Jade's arms were crossed, her tone now mischievous. "I know a few...martial arts myself."

"Really?" Speedy arched an eyebrow, smirking. "I just find something new about you every day. Whaddaya say to some mutual training?"

Jade hesitated; she was always taught to show no mercy. She didn't want to hurt Speedy, and she didn't want him to recognize her Cheshire moves. But...then again...she figured that this would be a great opportunity to spend some time with him.

So she just smiled as an answer.

It was a definate yes.

TT

Starfire's door slid open as Robin stepped through; he had hopped in for a quick shower before coming here. And what he found was quite adorable. Starfire was curled up on her side on one side of the bed, the other side was taken up by Raven, who was also curled up on her side but facing the opposite direction. Bumblebee was in a fetal position at the foot, clearly looking comfortable even though she slept on top of the covers. Terra was on the floor, sleeping next to an open sleeping bag-which Robin had assumed was where Jade had been sleeping.

Robin smiled a little, getting down to a crouch in front of Starfire; he ran his fingers slowly and softly through her red locks, looking radiant in the sunlight coming from her window.

Starfire stirred, her head moving with his hand as it cupped the side of her face, and she let out a sleepy, "Mmm..." Her eyelids fluttered opened, and a sleepy smile spread across her face. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you," he said back, his hand now stroking the warm skin on her arm. "Did you sleep well?"

Starfire nodded. "And yourself?"

"Same." He watched as she took his hand, placing it back on her face, and kept her hand over his; her thumb making circular motions on the back of his palm, her eyes never left his.

"May I have a kiss?" she asked timidly, her hand starting to move up his arm so it can reach his face; he started to lean a little, stopping when she said, "I hope my breath is bearable."

He chuckled, closing the space between them and gave her a soft kiss; her arms twined around his neck and pulled him close, and his hands went back to her arms. One hand slid up to her neck, then back into her hair. Their lips parted, then joined again a few more times; the alienness was becoming more awake. And by the time he almost had her gasping for breath, despite the relaxed kissing pace, yes. She was wide awake.

Starfire's door slid open once again, the couple pulling apart from their embrace; standing there was a content looking Cyborg and a very messy-haired Beast Boy.

"'Morning," Cyborg said, quieter than usual considering the others' slumber. He nodded at Robin. "Heard ya knock." Robin nodded back. "Looks like it's time for me to make breakfast!"

Starfire sat up, running her fingers through her hair a couple of times, and Robin stood. Meanwhile, Beast Boy, who was now a green kitten, hopped on the bed; Starfire smiled and petted him, his head nuzzling against her in appreciation before he made a cute little hop on Raven's hip; he made another cute hop until he was down, then turned to face her body. Getting up on hind legs, he began to gently paw her arm to get her to wake up.

Raven groaned a little in response, so Beast Boy tried a different method. He mewed, ducking his head underneath her chin and nuzzled her. This did the trick, because Raven's eyes fluttered open, only to come in contact with green cat eyes. To Beast Boy's surprise, her lips curved up; her version of a smile.

"Looks like someone's up," Cyborg said with a grin.

Raven ignored him as she sat up.

"Good morning, friend!" Starfire greeted the empath with a hug, and Raven returned it half-heartedly. Beast Boy got comfortable in Raven's lap, purring as her fingers ran through his soft fur; when he was in this form, he was actually tolerable, which is why Raven was much more relaxed with him this way.

"Ya'll sure like to talk loud in the mornin'!" Bumblebee grumbled.

Starfire gasped as Terra, now awake, sat up. "Friends! You are all awake!"

"Of course," Terra replied. Raven watched Beast Boy leap from her lap and hop over to Terra, her heart sinking a little. The blonde giggled, holding Beast Boy up so they were eye-to-eye.

"Good morning to you too, BB," she said, letting him hop to the ground, and he phased back to his human form so he could sit next to her properly.

"Good, we're all up and awake." Cyborg walked over, throwing a former grumpy and now off-guard Bumblebee over his shoulder. "Let's go eat!"

"SPARKY!" Bumblebee barked in protest, but Cyborg ignored her with a snicker. Robin and Starfire got up, and Terra got up and followed soon after, eager to see Aqualad. Raven and Beast Boy made way to leave at the same time; Beast Boy took a step back, gesturing towards the exit.

"After you," he said bashfully, his ears the lightest shade of pink.

Raven accepted the offer and left first, hanging her head so he wouldn't see her blush either. "Thanks."

TT

"Aaaahhhh!" Speedy exclaimed as he was airborne and flying across the room, his body crashing into the mat and he landed on his back; Jade snapped up straight from her stance, her hair swooping in her face, and relaxed from it. She jogged over to him, holding out a hand.

"Sorry," she said, but she was smirking. "You okay?"

"Perfect," Speedy grunted as he took her hand, and heaved to his feet. "I must say, you're not too shabby. Ever considered going into the hero biz?"

Jade released his hand, crossing her arms, and turned her back to him. "No."

"Why? You're pretty much as good as Robin, and he doesn't have any powers!"

Jade bit her lip, which he didn't see. "I don't think I'll ever be one..." She walked away from the ginger to go fetch her bottle of water as an excuse to have a little space.

"But have you-"

"Just drop it, Speedy!"

She regretted the harsh tone she had used.

His voice sounded sad as he murmured, "Sorry I asked..."

Jade took a sip from her bottle, then turned around to face him. "Speedy...you don't understand-"

"No, I get it," Speedy interjected. "It's cool. Really. I'm not trying to pressure you or anything, but...now that I know that I don't have to worry about you when we're apart, I..."

Jade started to smile. "You...worry about me?"

"There _are_ villains out there who will go to extreme lengths to get to us heroes," Speedy explained, coming closer. "A popular method to set us up is by kidnapping someone, most likely a non-super, who means a lot to us. And...I just don't want anything to _happen_ to you...Know what I mean?"

Jade set her water bottle down, then closed the space between them, wrapping her arms around his torso; his arms were around her without any hesitation. Her gaze flickered to the window, in full view of the city, before she closed her eyes and even held him tighter. "I think I'm starting too."


	13. Plasmus

**Updating again! And in the same _day._ You guys deserve it. I really appreciate your support, guys. It means a lot.**

**And it's the first battle chapter! Yay!**

* * *

"Thanks for helping me out," Terra was saying to Jade as the two walked down the sidewalk with brown grocery bags in their arms. It was another one of those sunny days where the weather was perfect. Because of the cool breeze, Terra wore a pale blue button-down shirt with black buttons and the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, black leggings, and black ankle boots with no heels. Jade wore a green long sleeved shirt that covered half of her hands, black skinny jeans, and converse. "Grocery shopping would have taken for-_ever._"

"I know what you mean," Jade said with a knowing nod. "And your brother couldn't have helped _because_...?"

"I know right?! Apparently I 'don't do enough in the house'," Terra quoted in a deep voice and then said normally, "Like, _what?! _Just because he's the bigger brother, he thinks he can just tell me what to do."

"Sweety, I think that's his job."

"Jadey!" Terra whined. "You're supposed to be on my side here!"

Jade giggled. "Sorry."

**"RRRRRGGGGGHHHHHAAAAAAAAHHHHH HHGGGHHHH!"**

The two girls whirled around simutaneously as citizens on the streets were running passed them and screaming from a huge monster that was now stomping through the street; it almost towered over all the buildings as it grabbed taxis and kicked light poles and newstands. The wind blowing now was harsher than before. This monster was an oozing purple one, and had green eyes with no pupils.

"What the hell is that?" Jade said.

"I...don't know..." Terra's eyes squinted, and they both took a step back. "But...for some reason, that thing looks awfully familiar!"

Plasmus swung its arms, throwing goop everywhere. It took sight of the blonde and formed what looked like a smile, reaching down.

"Run..." Jade said, tapping Terra's arm, and they managed to get their feet to move, dropping the groceries. "RUN!"

Jade pushed Terra ahead of herself, looking over her shoulder. She had never seen a thing like that, and she was wondering where the hell it came from. This halted her running, and Terra was back at her side. Out of nowhere, Plasmus swung his big arm, knocking Jade across the street and landing on the window to a random store; goo was stuck to her torso, making it impossible for her to move, no matter how hard she struggled.

"Jade!" Terra gasped. She then screamed as Plasmus wrapped his hand around her body and lifted her up to his face. The blonde looked down, and suddenly felt nauseous. _Okay, looking down. Bad idea! Bad idea! _

Plasmus opened his mouth, roaring loud in her face, specks of goop flying out and getting her cheek and some of her hair.

"Ew..." Terra's heart was taking off at top speed. She _really _hoped this thing didn't drop her.

A birdarang flew across the air, slicing Plasmus square in the chest, making him roar again in protest; Terra and the monster looked in the direction from where it came from, and Terra started to feel a lot better.

"TITANS, GO!" Robin ordered, and the Titans sprung into action. Starfire flung her starbolts at Plasmus, and Raven used her dark energy to pick up a car and throw it at it. Beast Boy, who was a Pteranodon, let go of Cyborg, who was shooting with his Sonic Cannon. Plasmus staggered back, and Terra wiggled in his grip. Beast Boy phased back to his human form, doing a somerfault before landing on the building nearest Plamus's head.

"Be careful, guys!" the changeling yelled. "Terra's still there!"

It was a little too late for that, because Plasmus lost his grip, and Terra fell.

"I got her!" Aqualad surfed in the scene on a strong current of water, passing Beast Boy as he said his statement, and rode down quickly; Beast Boy watched in relief as Aqualad made it just in time. With his arms outstretched, he caught Terra bridal style without breaking his perfect stride. Aqualad came to a stop, the current shortening as he got closer to his destination, which was on the street yet further away from the danger.

Aqualad turned around with Terra still in his arms, observing the creature; he was so tall, and she was so slim, yet they fit together like a puzzle. Her arms, which had been wrapped tightly around his neck since she landed in his safe arms, loosened the pressure. He smiled down at her.

"You're safe now," he told her.

"Thank you," she replied, heart fluttering in her chest.

An arrow shot through the glass and through the layer of glue between Jade's shoulder and hand, making her scream in surprise; the goop glowed a bright red before it melted and Jade hopped down to her feet.

"You okay?" Speedy asked, now by her side, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Jade nodded, more rapidly than usual; he cupped the side of her face, briefly pushing some stray hair back. It was a quick but sweet gesture, and it felt so natural to the both of them. If only he knew that she could..._help._

An explosion was heard, and Speedy pulled Jade away from the danger; they were now in an alley, backs against the wall. Speedy waited for a moment, and then expertly leaned around to shoot an electric arrow at Plasmus, who roared in protest once again.

Plasmus had enough of the young heroes. He whacked his arm around, colliding with Starfire head on; Starfire yelped as she fell, disoriented.

"Starfire!" Robin jumped, catching her before her head could smash into the ground. "Are you alright?"

Starfire placed her hand on the side of her head. "Oooh...that was...some blow, yes?"

Robin helped her to her feet, and she gave him a reassuring smile that she could continue.

Meanwhile, Raven was Plasmus's next target. He reached for every car he could find, throwing them at the empath; she used her dark energy to block each attack, but was slowly growing weaker. She could almost literally feel each car's weight, and it wasn't exactly comfortable.

On a sixteen-wheeler, her shield cracked, and she tripped, landing on the ground; her arms felt like...well, mush. Plasmus smiled, and reached for another vehicle. Finding the perfect one, he leaned his hand back, then swung forward.

Raven couldn't move.

"RAVEN!"

One minute she heard Beast Boy's voice, and the next minute he was in front of her, holding the head of a truck; his back was leaning backward, strained grunts emitting from the changeling as he adjusted the weight. To her utter shock and amazement, he hadn't phased into any strong animal. His veins were now prominent, his muscles becoming more noticeable as he struggled with it.

"BB!" Cyborg said, ready to be of assistance.

But Beast Boy didn't need it. A low growl came from Beast Boy's throat, his eyes darkened, and he hissed, "_No one _hurts my best friend!" Then he threw the truck back at Plasmus with a roar of his own. Plasmus whirled as the truck collided with its jaw, and the other Titans took their chance to finish him off.

Beast Boy went to Raven, slipping her arm around his shoulders and his own around her waist, helping her off the ground; his free hand was enclosed around her wrist to keep them balanced.

Plasmus looked down, seeing the sea teen use water whips for his attack. Plasmus elongated his arms, and it was able to constrict Aqualad in a tight hold; it rose its arm, then smashed the ground. Then rose. Then smashed down again. Eventually, the teen grew limp, and Plasmus released him.

Aqualad lay barely conscious, covered in bruises and blood, on the street. Terra screamed, "AQUALAD!" and rushed to his side. She got to her knees, cupping his face in her hands and turning it so she could try to meet his gaze. His black orbs gazed up into her blue ones, and he gave her a little smile; then his eyes grew unfocused, his eyelids drooping and snapping back up again. This became a pattern before his eyes stayed closed. "Oh no, c'mon, stay awake!" She patted his cheek a few times, tears forming in her eyes. He didn't respond. "Aqualad, please! Get up! G...G-Get up!" She sobbed, pulling him into her lap, hugging his head.

What sounded like a deep and disturbing laugh erupted from Plasmus. And it got closer, ringing in Terra's ears; every Titan knowing that that laugh was for Terra. They were sprawled out, getting up from where they had been knocked down. Beast Boy and Raven were the only ones on their feet, and with arms still around each other, limped over to where the blonde sat. She was sitting dangerously close to Plasmus.

The laughter grew louder.

And that's when something happened that no one expected.

_No one._

Terra's hair had a mind of its own, the ends starting to rise in the sudden wind; at the same time, a yellow aura appeared around her for a brief moment. Getting to her feet, her back facing the Titans and Plasmus, the aura faded, and the earth disappeared from under her feet as she rose in the air; rocks and wind begain circling her into a tornado like formation.

"Terra?" Beast Boy said in disbelief as Raven's eyes started to narrow; the empath wasn't mad, no. She was as surprised as Beast Boy.

The tornado faded to nothing, and Terra was now facing Plasmus, eyes still closed. This time she was in the air, but standing on a big hunk of the street that was now missing. Terra's closed eyelids tightened as her hands balled into fists; her teeth gritted as they bared, a scream rising in her throat. She opened her mouth and her eyes-now a bright yellow, and her hands were outlined with yellow too-screaming in rage as she charged for Plasmus.

Plasmus took a step back before it turned and started running away. Terra raced after it, arms raising; the earth around her rose in the form of mutliple rocks. Her arms shot forward, and so did the rocks. They collided with Plasmus, and he fell down.

Before Terra could do anything else, though it looked like it was planned, Robin and Cyborg appeared as they ran underneath her and did their Sonic Boom attack. Plasmus exploded, and the goop oozed away, revealing the person underneath the monster; he groaned, now exhausted and confused, and almost unconscious.

"Time to take you back to jail," Robin said, putting handcuffs around him.

Terra's hair relaxed, as did her hands, and all the yellow glowing disappeared. She sank to her knees, each leg spread out in the opposite direction, and her rock eased back down to the ground. She let out an exhale, panting.

"Terra!"

She didn't turn at Beast Boy's voice, but the other Titans footsteps were heard as they finally came around. Cyborg and Starfire followed Robin as the police showed up. Beast Boy and Raven came up on one side of Terra, while Speedy and Jade on the other, Aqualad slumped on Speedy's back.

"That was...incredible," Jade said, lost for words.

"Your powers!" Beast Boy said. "They came back!"

"Yeah..." Terra started to smile a little. "They did, didn't they?"

Speedy felt Aqualad slide off him, and realized that his best friend was now conscious again.

"Terra..."

Terra's head snapped up at the sound of Aqualad's voice, gasping almost tearfully as he sank to his knees beside her.

"We need to get Aqualad back to the Tower," Raven said. "I can heal you if you like," she offered.

Aqualad nodded. "Sounds good." He then smiled at Terra. "Mind giving me a lift?"

Terra smiled while Raven looked concerned.

"Maybe you shouldn't..." the empath said, and Terra met her gaze. "You almost lost control back there. Why don't we have Cyborg run a few tests on you before you...?" She surprisingly sounded friendly towards Terra around the end.

Terra nodded. "Right, right." Her mind registered something. "Hey, where's Bumblebee? I didn't see her..."

"Probably back at the Tower," Speedy answered after exchanging glances with Aqualad.

"Let's go, guys," said Beast Boy, waving them over. The group walked back towards where they had came, Speedy and Terra helping a limping Aqualad. Raven remained behind, and this caught his attention. He walked over to her. "Coming, Rae?"

Raven nodded and fell into step with him; she stopped walking, and so did he. She pulled her hood down. "I just..wanted to say thank you...for what you did back there."

Beast Boy almost beamed. "Anytime, Rae. Besides! You owe me big time!"

"Don't bite off more than you can chew." Raven walked off, and Beast Boy ran after her.

"Hey! Was that supposed to be a pun?!"

* * *

**Soooo, how did ya like it? If you paid attention to Beast Boy, didja see how his eyes darkened and how he didn't need to transform to use all of his strength? Just to protect Raven? Maybe something's up...? ;)**

**I tried to add some moments between the couples, at least give each some spotlight.**

**And Terra's powers returned! Whaddaya think of that? What do you think will happen?**

**Lemme know by reviewing!**


	14. Scent

**Hey guys! I'm baaaaack! Hehe xD Miss me? I missed you all! Words cannot express!**

**I can only get on the computer on weekends, so...yeah, the writing process takes a lot longer! Especially when you can only get on for a certain amount of time, and it has to be before 9 pm xP Did I mention I use my parents laptop? Yeah, they have to type the password and everything!**

**I need my own laptop pronto!**

* * *

In the Titans infirmary, both Aqualad and Terra were in the two operating beds; Aqualad was laying down while Terra was sitting up. Both had IV's in their arms, Aqualad having not as much as before because Raven had reduced the injuries. Aqualad's tests came out positive, so he had the option to rest; and the hero _was_ tired, but he watched Terra anyway with sleepy eyelids. He wanted to know how she was doing.

In order to give Cyborg room to concentrate, not every Titan was in there. Just them three, with the addition of Beast Boy and Raven. Robin and Starfire were standing just outside the room; Bumblebee, Speedy, and Jade were down in the Ops.

"So..." Terra broke the silence. "How am I doin', doc?"

Cyborg gave the blonde an amused look. "Just a sec." He turned back to what he was doing, pressing a button; there was a printing sound, and then the cyborg was holding a small transparent, light blueish box. "Check it out for yourself." He opened it, and it spread out in a screen as big as a regular sized laptop; a hologram screen. Terra saw her picture in the upper left, and her name in all caps and bold as well as underlined. Below it was all her data, including her age, height, and weight; a double helix, her DNA, was making a slow turning motion on the right. Below her DNA strand was showing a video of her using her powers in the past, up to the most recent event. Most of the words and signs after that, Terra did not understand.

Beast Boy was on the other side of Cyborg now, and Raven sat next to Terra for a better look herself.

"Um, Cyborg? Can you translate this to English?" Terra said, and Beast Boy nodded in agreement. Robin and Starfire walked in the room by then, and Cyborg didn't have a problem with it. Robin crossed his arms, joining the boys, while Starfire stood by Raven; the alienness had been very curious and worried about her blonde friend, which was why her begging eventually won Robin over.

Cyborg smirked, taking the hologram from her and threw it out. To Terra's shock, the screen expanded to the length and width of the wall in front of them, revealing _more _information. Cyborg walked up to one of the edges and gripped it, pulling it along so the width expanded greatly, becoming a half circle around the Titans. And soon, not just Terra, but Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg's information was up there in the same format. More double helixes. More videos. And Terra could see more. Strengths and weaknesses, even favorite foods and pet peeves were listed.

Cyborg walked up to Terra's screen, pointing to what looked like the before and after photos of her DNA. "Alright, Rock Star. Looks like your powers have come back, but unlike before, your cells are very stable. Everything's fine."

Terra sighed in relief.

"But to prevent a lapse in control," Raven interjected, and all eyes were on her. "You'll need to find some way to master your powers and keep them from going haywire. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. You almost lost it back there."

"I know that, but I couldn't help it!" Terra exclaimed. "That thing hurt Aqualad and I-!" she stopped short, her cheeks pink. She risked a glance in Aqualad's direction; he was smiling softly at her. She smiled a little in return before sighing, "Okay, okay." She looked over at Raven, taking a deep breath,"you're right. I need more practice with my powers. Test the ropes." She tapped her fingers timidly against her pants and asked the empath, "Will you teach me?"

This threw Raven off. "I...you want _me _to-?"

"If you want." Terra nodded and smiled at her. It fell after a moment. "Unless...you don't want to."

"No, no. Hold on." Raven's gaze drifted elsewhere as she thought. "Um...I guess I could, since our powers are similar in a way." Terra nodded eagerly. "How about I...come over your house, um...when are you free?"

"We can try next Friday after school?" Terra offered.

"What time does your school get out?"

"2:45. I get home around 3."

"Alright then. It's settled." She got to her feet. "I will see you then."

Terra, Beast Boy, and Cyborg watched her leave. Knowing her, Beast Boy and Cyborg guessed she was going back to her room to meditate. After Cyborg disconnected the cords and IV's from her, Terra got to her feet and went over to Aqualad's bed. She sat down next to his hip, taking his hand in hers.

Aqualad was fighting to stay awake, but he was high off pain killers. With the hand that was covered by hers, he lifted his arm and cupped the side of his face.

"Terra..." He almost slurred. "I can't...tell you...how much I...appreciate..."

"Shh..." Terra gave his hand a little squeeze, bringing it down from her face. "You need to rest."

"Will...will you be here when I wake up?" Eyelids began to close and flutter.

She was touched. "Of course."

He smiled, his head turning to the side before he let unconsciousness take him under. Holding his limp hand still, she turned her head and saw Beast Boy and Cyborg smirking at her.

"Oh shut up." A cackling Beast Boy and Cyborg exited the room to leave the two alone, Terra couldn't help but blush.

* * *

It was nearly a month later when Beast Boy woke up one morning and realized what day it was.

His birthday.

He was sixteen.

The changeling smiled to himself as he sluggishly got out of bed; during this, he thought a second too late that he had slept on the top bunk the previous night, and he fell over.

"Wah!" He yelped, bracing for impact, his eyes shut tight. When nothing came, he opened his eyes and looked over himself. Instead of sprawled on the floor like he normally would have been, he was balancing himself on the pads of his fingers and toes, the rest of his body not even touching the ground. His voice came in a whisper. "Whoa...okay. Mind. Blown."

He got to his feet, scratching the back of his head. He looked around the room, getting the odd feeling that something was...different. Off. Too sleepy to think straight, he shrugged it off and decided to head down to the Ops for some breakfast.

The Ops doors opened.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" his teammates cheered, minus one. His face brightened, taking in the green balloons and friendly-yet sleepy-faces staring back at him.

"Happy birthday, friend!" Starfire flew to him, nearly knocking him over in a hug. She pulled away, gasping and took a step back. "Oh! You have..."

"What?" Beast Boy asked, nearly scaring himself at the pitch. His voice had deepened by another octave. Nothing cracked. "Whoa..._duuude!" _He laughed. "Hehe, testing! Testing, one, two, three!"

Robin fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Um, Beast Boy? Look at Starfire."

"Okaaaayyy?" Beast Boy looked over at the alienness, who was looking at him up and down with wide eyes. And that was when he realized...he didn't have to look _up._

"You have...grown again?" Starfire noted, and Beast Boy stepped closer to Starfire; he held his hand to his forehead, then stretched it across the air to stop at Starfire's.

"Haha, sweet!" Beast Boy said. "I'm as tall as Starfire!"

"Just about the same height!" Cyborg said. "Wow. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Friend Raven!" Starfire said. "You have to look!"

"Look at what?" Raven deadpanned, her back still facing everyone else as she fixed her tea. After pouring the hot beverage in her cup, she blew on it as Beast Boy walked up behind her. She turned around as she took a sip.

And she froze.

This wasn't the Beast Boy from yesterday. The one who was much shorter and didn't look as...shaggy in a way. The top of her head was just passed his lips by an inch; although still shorter on the sides, his bangs looked fully grown and windswept to the left.

"You guys weren't kidding..." she managed.

Beast Boy's lips pulled up in a cocky grin. "What? No 'Happy Birthday, My Handsome Green Bestie!'?"

Raven, despite her growing attraction for the green teen, scoffed and walked around him. "Don't push your luck. I already said happy birthday to you."

"No you didn't!"

"I did. You must not have heard me."

"_Please_. I have the best ears on this team!"

"I beg to differ then."

Beast Boy pouted. "Well, can I at least get a hug?"

He saw her hesitation and grinned. That's all he needed. Taking in almost no time at all, he was across the room and scooping Raven up in his arms.

He didn't notice her stiffen, but the other Titans did.

Raven's eyes glazed over as she got a brief vision. There was Beast Boy, as he looked now, and then his image split into two. He was normal on one side, but on the other...was a much..._darker _version of him. The darker Beast Boy had a darker shade of green hair, and his stance overall was..._Feral. _He started to laugh, one that wasn't so nice, his canines extending on the top and bottom, and his green eyes turned as black as his pupils.

Raven gasped, cheeks burning as Beast Boy released her.

"You okay?" he asked with concern, extending a hand, and it hurt him when she retreated a step.

Raven gulped silently. "Are _you?"_

Beast Boy tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

Starfire flew between them, floating on Raven's side, and that small gust of wind flew into Beast Boy's nose. Beast Boy sniffed once. Twice. Eyes narrowing, he looked back at Raven. _Is that...? _He stepped closer to her, eyebrows scrunching down as he sniffed again. _The smell...it's coming from..._

**The girl...**a gutteral voice spoke in his head. _**It's the girl!**_

"Yo, BB. You a'ight?" Cyborg asked.

Beast Boy grabbed Raven by her shoulders, not too harshly but it still caught her off guard. He ignored her glare, lowering his head so he could smell her shoulder. The smell was stronger there, and it wasn't hers. Nose wrinkling, he sniffed a few times before releasing her and taking a step back. His eyes were wild, and Raven saw his eyes darken.

"Beast Boy, what's going on?" Robin demanded, now in full leader mode.

"Give me your jacket," Beast Boy told Raven.

"No."

"_Give me the damn jacket!" _Beast Boy snarled, and he saw Raven shaking as she did what she was told, tossing it at him. He caught it, smelling it once more. With a sound that didn't sound human at all, the changeling left the Ops.

"Titans, follow him!" Robin commanded, and his team proceeded.

Raven was in the lead when she saw that Beast Boy knocked down her bedroom door.

"Beast Boy, what the hell?!" She said hotly, walking in. She was seconds away from loosing control. She was itching to throw him out the window.

And she wasn't the only one in this scenario.

Beast Boy went through her clothes in a haze, growling and throwing stuff around the room. At one point, Starfire yelped when one of Raven's shirts landed on her head.

"What is he doing?" Cyborg wondered, slightly worried.

Breathing heavy, the changeling directed his question at Raven, "You remember that I Love Tofu shirt I got you last year?"

Raven almost recoiled; the one shirt she never wore. "Yes...? Why?"

"It's gone."

"Um, okay? And that gives you _what_ right to go through my stuff like you own the place?"

"You don't _understand, _Raven!" He growled, getting to his feet. "Dammit!"

"Beast Boy, you better tell us what's going on," Robin said, maintaining his tone, but Starfire could tell he was minutes away from barking at him.

"I smell him!" Beast Boy's heavy breathing slowed, but didn't stop.

"Smell who?!" Raven shot back.

"Please, tell us!" Starfire exclaimed, clasping her hands. "You are worrying us deeply!"

"ADONIS!" Beast Boy roared, and Starfire gripped Robin's arm while hiding herself behind him. "IT WAS FUCKING _ADONIS_, OKAY?!" Beast Boy's gaze landed on Raven, who was looking not only surprised but trying to not look hurt. He took a deep breath and spoke in a softer tone, "Adonis was here." His voice shook, holding up Raven's jacket and looked at it. His fingers weren't fingers anymore. They were claws. "I caught his scent."

* * *

**Oooh. I am very evil for leaving the chapter like that, but I figured that _that _was a very tense and sexy ending to the chappie, don't ya think?**

**I think this is where things get even _more _interesting-since Adonis _is_ part of the conflict of the story (as well as a few other characters who I shall not name). And since Adonis is a popular villain for Beast Boy personally, we get to see more of the Beast Boy x Raven arc. Yay!**

**But I had to feel bad for this to happen right on BB's birthday. I mean, c'mon! Can't a dude get a break? xP**

**Oh! And before I go!-**

**Anybody a Jimmy Neutron fan? I'm planning on posting one! There might be a little crossover with it, but I won't list it as a crossover. I have to get my thoughts organized first...but yeah!**

**Until the next chappie, my Bizzlers!**


	15. Strange Dreams

**Hey guys! Here's the next chappie! In a way, it's kinda a filler, but who cares? Fillers are fun! They're better than nothing, right? :)**

* * *

"Play video footage," Robin told Cyborg, hand grasping his chin.

Cyborg nodded and restarted the video footage from the previous night in Raven's room. They waited, and then saw a dark shadow hopping through her window. It was barely there for ten seconds, because after finding Raven's shirt, it disappeared.

"How could I not have sensed this...?" Raven thought out loud, and Starfire wrapped her arms around her for comfort; the empath sighed and leaned against her best friend. "I should've. This doesn't make sense..."

"Don't worry, friend. We will figure this out! Don't blame yourself-it wasn't your fault." The alienness rubbed Raven's shoulders.

Beast Boy wordlessly got up from his seat and left the room; he was still mad, but not as much as he was before. Raven watched him leave before she patted Starfire's hand. "I'll be right back."

Starfire released her grip on Raven with a nod, watching her dark friend disappear through the floor.

The empath found the changeling sitting at the kitchen table, staring at his birthday cake glumly.

"Some birthday, huh?" Raven sat down next to him.

Beast Boy grunted in response.

Raven sighed. "Look, Beast Boy...It's your birthday. If anything, I should be the moping one and you should be the happy one-not the other way around." He lifted his head to look at her, face cleared out of any emotion. "Honestly? I don't care that Adonis broke in, because it won't be long before we find him. But for now, I just want you to be happy and think of this as the best birthday ever. You're sixteen, Gar. Embrace it."

Beast Boy played with his fingers. "You're right, Rae. I'm sorry for the way I acted."

"It's fine. Your animal instincts sensed danger. It's natural."

"That gave me no right to invade your personal space though."

"You invade my personal space just by hugging me."

Beast Boy smiled. "Yeah. 'Sides, I didn't know what came over me. This voice in my head..."

"Which is called your _conscience."_

"Ha ha. No, this was different." He returned his gaze to his cake. "A much darker one..."

Raven thought of her vision.

"He...he kept telling me that the scent was coming from you. And as soon as I caught it..." He closed his eyes, hands clenched to fists. "I almost _lost _it..."

Raven gazed curiously at his hands. She reached out and took one, causing him to faintly blush. "Relax your hand," she commanded, and he unballed it. Once again, his fingers were claws, sharpened to a point. Tentatively, she poked a sharp edge with her finger and examined closely. "Hmm..."

"What?"

"Well, when you...heard the voice, and it triggered an unknown anger, this happened." Raven gestured towards his claws. "But...when you're calm..." Testing a theory, almost blushing at the thought that Beast Boy actually _did _like her, she ran her thumb across the back of his hand. Automatically, the claws retracted and returned to his normal fingernails. She released her grip on him, resting her palms in her lap.

_Okay. So it looks like it might be possible for me to bring him back when and if he looses control and transforms. Gotta keep that in mind._

"Huh..." Beast Boy said in surprise, cheeks pink from her touch. "Looks like I'm gonna have to be more careful about that."

"You think?"

The Ops doors opened, and the rest of the team came in the room. Robin and Cyborg were all business, while Starfire just looked nervous.

"BB..." Cyborg began cautiously.

"What?" said Beast Boy.

"We're gonna have to run a few tests on ya," Cyborg explained slowly.

"Why?" The changeling's eyebrows scrunched down, and his eyes began to darken. Everyone saw his fist beginning to ball up, his whole body tense. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"_That _looks like something," Robin said gravely. "Get to the medical bay. _Now." _When Beast Boy didn't move, he added, "That's an _order."_

Beast Boy's teeth gritted. What did they want to run tests on him for? This was making him feel like a tamed animal with rabies. Like he was a science project or something.

"Friend, your suspicious behavior has risen some questioning," Starfire explained as gently as she could. "They just want to make sure that you are the okay, unlike the last time when you...well..."

"I don't want to," Beast Boy retorted. "_I said_ I'm fine."

Out of the corner of Raven's eyes, she could see his fingernails-slowly beginning to darken and extend. With a small gasp, she covered his hand with her own; the changeling seemed to have snapped out of it when he looked over at her, bringing their faces closer. With her other hand, she completely sheathed his fingers with hers.

"Please let them run a few tests," she said, her tone almost begging. "They want to make sure that you're still, well, cured..."

"Raven..." Beast Boy started, unsure.

"Please," she said again, bringing his hand closer to her chest. "For me."

Cyborg and Robin exchanged surprised glances while Starfire watched her two friends in awe. Was Raven really getting to Beast Boy? Could she convince him?

Beast Boy continued to stare at the empath, conflicted. His eyes searched hers, as if trying to read her mind; and right now, he wished he knew what she was thinking.

"What if there_ is_ something wrong with me?" he asked her quietly. "Will they treat me different?" In a broken whisper, "Kick me off the team?"

"I won't let that happen," she promised. "Do you trust me?"

Beast Boy nodded automatically.

"Okay. Then trust me to trust them."

The changeling covered one of Raven's hands with his free one. "Will you be there with me?"

"If you want."

He sighed, turning back to his teammates. "Okay. I'll go."

* * *

In the medical bay, Beast Boy sat in one of the beds, with all kinds of things connected to him that he forgot the name of. While Cyborg and Robin analyzed his data, Starfire lingered with gentle smiles sending in the changeling's direction, and Raven was quiet.

"Soooo?" he said after a while. He was getting impatient. It was too quiet.

"You're still cured," said Robin, never tearing his eyes off the screen.

"But your DNA has altered," Cyborg finished.

"Um, okay? What does that mean?"

"We're not sure," said Robin, finally meeting the changeling's gaze. "But we have been recording your...behavior for the past few weeks." Beast Boy didn't like the sound of that. "Nothing bad, just...interesting. For example, sometimes in battle, instead of changing into a-let's say a gorilla-you face a collision head on without any restraint. Remember the battle with Plasmus? That truck could've crushed Raven, but you caught it before it hit her, and threw it away _with your bare hands. _And, in most recent events, you almost gave everyone a little scare there this morning."

"Well, it's instinct, I can't help it," Beast Boy told him. "The Beast must've genetically inhanced every fiber of my being, or something."

"Do you know something we don't?"

Beast Boy hesitated. "Well...you see..."

Starfire drew in closer, now standing next to Robin; Raven was standing next to Beast Boy's bed, also curious.

"I've been having...weird dreams lately," he continued. "They actually happened a couple of times the last time Adonis was around. But these...these were more...vivid. Stronger. I would be myself, and then I would be walking in some sort of mist. It would clear, and I would see...a _darker _version of myself. I could tell because he's most likely always in the...'half in half phase'-which is what I call it. You know, not full on wolf, but not exactly human either?"

"Go on," said Robin with a nod.

"You see...him, or me, is the voice in my head. He's the reason why I act so instinctively. Especially when it comes to those who I, uh, really care about..." He lightly blushed, avoiding Raven's gaze. "What satisfies him is when I go along with my instincts willingly, and eventually they become natural. But...there's one thing that pisses him off more than anyone else."

"And what is that?" Starfire asked this time.

Beast Boy continued reluctantly, and as he spoke he turned to the empath, "When someone tries to harm Raven."

Raven almost had a deer in the headlights look. "_Me_?"

Beast Boy nodded. "Uh huh. The only thing he-or I- wants is to protect you. A-And the rest of you guys!" He stammered out. "You know, gotta protect the pack anyway. But Raven's sorta his greatest desire, and, uh...wow. This is awkward for me to say out loud..."

Raven, with her arms crossed, sat down next to him. "Continue." She wanted to hear the rest of this.

"O-kay...Um...okay. So you know how you have your emotions in your mind and all that?"

"My emoticlones?"

"Yeah, those. Well, The Beast is sorta like a combination of them all-but severely heightened. Especially Rage and, um...uh..."

"What?"

"L-Lust," he choked out.

Raven's cheeks warmed up.

_Well that escalated quickly._

"Point is, The Beast is both a gift and a curse, and since you're the only girl that's closest to me, he chose to be your protector. Goodbye, the end. Questions?" The changeling said quickly and nervously.

The Titans were quiet.

"To...protect me..." Raven murmured, her eyes glazing over as she thought about a dream that she had last night; one that would occasionally pop up here and there, because she didn't think it was that important.

"What is on your mind, friend?" Starfire asked. "Do you experience the 'strange dreams' as well?"

"Not exactly..." Raven said slowly. "But, uh...well...At first I thought it was the cause of you making me watch Twilight with you so many times, but then again...it's something completely different."

"What were your dreams about?" inquired Robin.

"Fear," Raven answered in her monotone. "Absolute fear. They all would start out when I'm a little girl, around the same age I was when Trigon took over the world and you literally brought me back from hell." Robin nodded at the memory; Raven seemed so fragile...up until she grew back up again and did her cool White Raven thing. "I would be chased by..." _Don't tell them the one monster who you're scared of the most, _she told herself. _Not yet. It's not important anymore. _"Trigon's minions...or other random monsters. And each time, when I'd reach a dead end, out of breath, a green wolf would jump down in front of me and growl at them. I would be sitting next to the wolf, with my tiny hands in his fur to calm him, and to cling to him. Because I knew who he was, and I knew I was safe."

"Whoa...You dream about me, Rae?" Beast Boy grinned cockily at her, and she glowered back at him. "Sorry. Not funny. Continue, please."

"But the dreams weren't always about me when I was younger. Sometimes it would just be me in the present day, and instead of the wolf, it was The Beast. Or Beast Boy in his...'half in half' form," she put quotations around half in half.

The silence after that dragged, and they knew that she must've finished.

"Wow," said Cyborg. "Huh. Didn't see that one coming."

"You're telling me," said Beast Boy. Raven dreamed about him..._protecting _her? Even in childhood? That was saying something. And it made him feel...good.

"How interesting!" said Starfire. "What do you think, Robin?"

Robin hesitated. "Well, just as long as no one gets hurt..."

"No promises for Adonis," Beast Boy cut in, forcing back a growl.

Robin actually started to smile. "No promises for Adonis. Since it's your birthday, we can all have fun and take a day off. As for The Beast, just make sure that you keep him...er, you, in check, okay? We don't want history to repeat itself, now do we?"

Beast Boy shook his head. "Nope. Remember, I've phased into The Beast more than once. The last time was when Slade came to try to get to Raven and...well, you know. The Beast didn't like that."

"Understandable," said Starfire. "Now, come friends! Let us celebrate the day of birth for friend Beast Boy!"


	16. Cheshire Revealed

**Hey hey hey! Here I am with a quick update! (Since I'm bored and I had time to do a quicky) Soooo, I just wanted to let you guys know that I appreciate you all for your kind and sweet reviews. They really make my day when I have a bad one. So thank you :)**

* * *

Beast Boy had a great birthday. All of the Titans went out to the carnival and spent the majority of their day there. For Beast Boy personally, the best parts of it all were two things, and they had to do with the empath. First, he convinced her to go in a photobooth with him-and they both got copies in their rooms. And second, he had gotten his birthday wish-a kiss on the cheek from Raven.

That had been her birthday present, since she 'wasn't good with gifts' and she 'owed him one'. Beast Boy, however, was grateful-and blushing hard for the rest of the night.

Starfire had got him a brand new video game that he had been having his eyes on for the past several months-_Ninja Assassin V_.

Robin's gift was simple, but Beast Boy appreciated it nonetheless-a book on the Five Animals of Chinese Martial Arts (Tiger, Snake, Crane, Leopard, and Dragon).

Cyborg's gift had Beast Boy fanboying-the green teen finally got a normal bed, just about as big as Robin's, but with earthy green sheets.

And so, the following days after Beast Boy's birthday, the five Titans slowly settled back into business. Robin let Beast Boy help him out when it came to looking through Adonis's files, since Adonis was more antagonistic against Beast Boy than any of the other Titans. As for Raven, she began to sleep in Starfire's room, and Cyborg installed surveillance in the empath's; but, alas, no sign of Adonis.

This upsetted Beast Boy greatly, and he wasn't afraid to show it. He was pretty grumpy, and the only person who could bring him back up again was Raven herself; she even went as far as offering to play video games with him, and he greatly took her up on that offer.

"Thanks for doing this, Rae," he said one night. "I know you just _loathe_ video games so much."

Raven smiled gently; her sarcasm sure was rubbing off on him, and in truth, she thought that video games were...okay. "Yes, they're just the darkest pits of my despair."

Beast Boy had laughed at that.

* * *

On a slow Wednesday night, the Titans were out on patrol. Splitting up in groups, Robin went with Starfire, Beast Boy was with Raven, and Cyborg was fine with his "baby" (not Bumblebee. She was his Honeybun).

Raven flew above in the skies, while Beast Boy used this time to work on his speed. So he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, and Raven watched him. He went from running on twos to fours, and used his claws to cling to ledges; his laughter was the only thing that kept Raven sane. Otherwise, the claws were a bad idea.

"How am I doin'?" he called up to her with a wide grin, landing in a crouch as he came to a stop, claws sliding back in.

Raven drifted down, hovering only about a foot above the ground. "I see improvement."

"Sweet. Say, what do you think abo-?" The wind shifted in a direction, and he sniffed.

Raven saw him stiffen.

"Beast Boy..." She saw his back arch more, hearing a low growl emitting from the changeling. He tensed, ready to spring. "Gar?" She used his real name, or the nickname that those close to him shorten it to.

Beast Boy's head veered to the left, and she saw a slitted pupil.

"I got him," he gruffed.

And then he jumped, disappearing from view.

Raven took out her communicator. "Um...guys?"

"_Wassap?" _said Cyborg.

"_Have you and Beast Boy found trouble?" _Starfire said next.

"I...guess you could say that," Raven said slowly.

_"Raven, report," _Robin commanded.

Raven peered over the rooftop, spotting Beast Boy's shadow dashing through the alley. "I think Beast Boy just found Adonis."

_"I got a lock on his location. Titans, follow him but keep your distance just in case. Robin out."_

* * *

Speedy was panting, bow and arrow raised and pointed as he followed the speeding assassinating villainess; Cheshire almost had Speedy beat when it came to speed. He could've been video chatting with Jade. But _noooo._

He had simply spotted her; seen her silhouette, blackened by her surroundings and the moonlight shined down on her backside. He knew that body anywhere-which was kinda creepy-and without hesitation, began chasing. He's been doing that for the past month now. Just chased her. She hadn't been up to anything-Speedy would've known. It seemed like she knew the nights when he patrolled alone and decided to make herself seen so he could chase her. Rare times he'd catch her, and they'd have a little brawl, but nothing too violent. Sort of. Nothing was ever broken. A bloody nose maybe. Bruises here and there. Something that'll leave a mark in the morning.

Speedy didn't know why he was suddenly holding back. Surprisingly looking forward to these nights. Even asking Bumblebee to take double shifts. Triple shifts.

For Titans East, things have been...difficult lately. Mas y Menos left the team for another-a smaller group of heroes and heroines from their homelands. Speedy, Aqualad, and Bumblebee understood, but there had been tearful goodbyes. So it was just the three of them; and since Bumblebee wasn't leading like she had been, she had counted on Speedy to lead the missions.

With a sigh, Speedy took a great leap and rolled onto the next rooftop. Cheshire turned-no whirled-around, smirking behind her mask.

_Oh this is gonna be fun._

She started for him.

He expected that.

Aiming a kick for his face, Cheshire wasn't surprised when he caught her by her ankle and thwacked it away; she spun, sinking down in a split, and swung her leg around in a half-circle. Speedy jumped, but Cheshire took this opportunity to knock his weapon out of his hands. Speedy cursed, fingers stinging, but he shook his hand out and braced himself as she jumped back to her feet.

Knowing Cheshire like the hair on his head, he knew that their spars normally started off almost playful (this was common lately) before getting extremely heated and competitive. Sweat dewed on his forehead, but he kept fighting her. He had to admit, she was good. As if reading his mind, she seemed to have studied his strategy's. The way he punched, kicked, attacked.

Jade's words rang in his ears. What she said about some villains being misunderstood even had him thinking about Cheshire; he hated it when she made sense. But he couldn't help himself. He just liked Jade _that _much. Maybe even more, and he didn't know how she felt. That night when they kissed was _amazing, _but neither of them spoke about it. They just carried on with what they were-good friends. Possibly best friends now. He talked to her almost every day, whether during video chats or coming to visit her, or her coming to visit them. He'd ask her about her day, her life, and she'd pour her heart out to him.

But yet he had a feeling that she was hiding something. He just didn't know what. And he wanted to find out.

He shouldn't even be talking. He wore a mask. He too had secrets that he hadn't told her yet. Maybe her secrets were just as personal as his; either way, he trusted her, and if she wanted to tell him something, then she would.

...Right?

A knife tearing across his right cheek broke his concentration, causing him to swear and cup his cheek; the cut wasn't deep, but deep enough for blood flow. He glared at Cheshire, who was doing a manipulative and smug technique of twirling her knives between her fingers. Okay, this was now personal. With a spin and a kick to the abdomen, she staggered back with a grunt; Speedy took this opportunity to punch her across the face. After doing so, making her head twist the opposite direction, he locked her arms together from behind, crushing her fingers and causing her weapons to drop. She did something she rarely did and let out a cry of pain as he smashed his foot into her backside, causing her to fall to her face. Blood leaked out of her nose and mask.

He kept her arms up high, still gripping them tightly, hoping he was hurting her. He pushed them forward, wondering how flexible her arms really were, and Cheshire gasped in pain. Managing to turn her body slightly, she kicked one leg free and kicked him hard in the calf. Speedy swore again, his knees buckling as he went down. Freeing herself from his grip before her arms could snap, she wrapped her legs around his torso and flipped him over and down until she straddled him. He wasn't having that and clasped his hand around her throat, hoping he was cutting off air supply. And he was.

She punched him dead in the jaw. Oh yeah. That was gonna leave a bruise tomorrow. And she was gonna pay for it. With the hand around her throat, he shoved her off of him and scrambled to his feet, looking wildly for his bow and arrow. _There! _He barely got a foot away when a hand enclosed around his ankle and flipped him over on his stomach, causing the arsenal to grunt.

And just as she fished for a knife under her skirt, she lunged for the ginger, but was stopped short when his foot made contact with her face. Hard.

Sending Cheshire back a few feet into the air, she fell on her back with a sharp gasp, and he almost smiled. When he sat up, his eyes widened when he saw her mask laying feet away from him. Cheshire was finally unmasked, and he was about to find out who this monster was. Their fight sure had turned ugly, but that didn't matter. He was finally gonna finish her off once and for all. But not kill her-he was a hero. He was nothing like Cheshire.

Grabbing his bow and arrow, he aimed it at the villainess as he slowly approached her; she was still on the ground, now rolling on her back so he wouldn't see her face. Weakly, her fingers sore and cut, she pushed her upper body up shakily, breathing in uneven pants.

"There's no one to run now," he told her threatingly, speaking for the first time throughout their battle. With a cold shove, she fell on her backside, hair in her face. "Once I find out who you are, it'll be all over for you. I hope no one shows you mercy."

She gasped wildly, attempting to get up using the back of her hands and feet when an arrow pierced her left shoulder; she cried out once again, yanking the arrow out of her skin.

"Don't move," Speedy growled, now straddling her and pressed his arm over her shoulders and her throat to stop her struggles; his elbow dug into her throat, and she gasped out hoarsely. She tried to sit up again. "No _you don't_! It's over-!"

As he forced her back to the ground, her hair flew out of her face.

And he froze.

"J-Jade?"

_Jade._

Jade was fighting back tears, but she held them in well; spitting some blood out of her mouth, she let her head rest back against the concrete, moonlight shining down on her pretty-yet scarred-face.

"Not who you expected, huh?" she said in a raspy voice. Speedy didn't know what to do or say. His mind was blank. Everything he knew...it was all a lie..."Go ahead, arrest me." She licked her lips. "You have two choices. You could kiss me, or kill me. Which will it be, Speedy?"

Speedy stared back down at the one girl he cared about the most in his world. He had known her all along-well, the two sides of her. The sweet, awesome girl he got to know, and the ruthless, badass assassin who questionably tried to kill him from time to time. All this time he was tracking _Jade. _All this time he swore vengeance against _Jade. _

"I deserve it..." she murmured.

"Don't expect me to join the pity party," he remarked coldly, then regretted it when a hurt look dawned on her face. Huh. Who knew Cheshire had emotions? Well, she might not, but Jade did.

This explained so much. How she could easily travel back and forth. Why she never showed him her house or even the area where she lived. The strange, guilty attraction he began feeling for Cheshire, and will never admit this out loud.

"Speedy..." she whispered, almost begging.

Speedy reached into his back pocket. "I'm sorry."

And with that, he sunk the syringe in her thoat, instantly sedating her.

* * *

**Wow! There's a lot goin' on in this chapter! First, Beast Boy sniffs out Adonis, and then Speedy unmasks Cheshire! **

**Tell me what ya think by reviewing, of course :) I got my inspiration back again, so updates should be more often!**


	17. A Long Night

**Hey guys! These ideas just keep burning in my brain. I can't help it! xD**

* * *

Raven tossed and turned in her bed; she had gone to sleep worried about her green best friend. Earlier that night, he had caught Adonis's sent, then he lost it again. He was very frustrated and went straight to his room to get some shuteye. And the empath could've sworn she heard glass breaking.

Currently, it was storming outside. Lightning, thunder, harsh rain pour; yet the slumbering Titans slept like babies. Although, Starfire would be slightly shaken sometimes, and she would seek comfort in Robin; he'd comfort her by talking to her over light snacks in the Ops, and it helped her a lot.

Since Cyborg installed a top bunk just for Raven's stay, the empath slept on the top with her dark comforter, and the alienness slept on the bottom in her pink sheets.

Raven was having the same dream. She was being chased and came to a dead end; a half-in-half phased Beast Boy leapt down in front of her, growling protectively. But something...strange happened. There were flashes as punches were thrown, a growl that didn't belong to Beast Boy ran chills down her spine.

She bolted upright at the sound of Beast Boy's roar of pain, gasping for breath. She clutched her chest, feeling her racing heart beat against her palm. It was hot, most likely because she was wearing a plain long-sleeved black tee shirt and blue and black plaid pajama pants, but also because she felt like she had just ran a marathon. The changeling's name fell on her lips in a shaky whisper. She sensed something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

As she was still coming to her senses, her communicator lit up and beeped the Teen Titans jingle. With a confused grown, she leaned over on all fours and grabbed it; she opened her communicator, running her fingers through her hair. This better be a good excuse to have the _nerve_ to call the demoness at this time of-

"_Beast Boy calling Raven," _a raspy, breathless voice spoke out. Raven squinted her eyes, the screen not showing a thing. But there was no denying his voice.

"Beast Boy?" Wherever the changeling was, it was dark. "What the hell are you doing? Where are you?"

_"I don't know...Think I'm...in the alley next to that creepy café you always go to."_

"Why are you-?"

_"Raven, please. I don't think I can...get up."_

Raven's eyes widened in the dark. _Did he actually find...? _"Okay, okay, okay. Just...hold on. I'm on my way."

_"Kay."_

"Hang in there, Gar. Raven out." She closed her communicator and leapt off her bunk, hovering in the air as she tapped her slumbering roommate. "Starfire. Starfire, wake up!"

Starfire's eyes fluttered open. "What is it, friend?" She sat up when she saw the urgent look on Raven's face. "Is there trouble?"

"Yes. It's Beast Boy. He's somewhere in the city, and I know where to find him. I-I think he found Adonis."

At this, Starfire was up in an instant, floating next to Raven. She grabbed her sweater and put it on quickly. "Let us go wake the others!"

* * *

Four pajama clad Titans made their way into the city; Robin and Starfire rode on his R-Cycle, and Raven rode with Cyborg in the T-Car. She gave the directions, with the window rolled down; the cool night hair danced in her purple locks.

Raven finally sensed him.

"There!" She pointed, and Cyborg skidded to a stop. Raven hurridly got out of the T-Car and started a brisk jog across the street, not bothering to fly. She heard her teammates behind her, but her focus was on a green head face down on the ground, his body sheathed in the shadows of the alley. "Beast Boy!"

"Friend! We have come to assist you!" Starfire said as they approached.

Beast Boy lifted his head and smiled a little, his eyes on Raven. "Cool. You brought the whole gang."

"What's your status?" Robin asked.

"Eh, bruises here, cuts and scars there..." Beast Boy waved it away with his hand. "And," he started to get up. "Ow. I think a rib's broken."

"Well, let's just-" Raven started.

"No, no, no! Don't come any closer!" Beast Boy recoiled and backed away into the darkness, but they could still see his face.

"Why not?" Cyborg demanded.

"Because...well...I'm not..." Beast Boy blushed faintly. "_decent."_

Raven's cheeks turned pink. _Oh damn._

Robin spotted the changeling's shredded costume. "Ah. Well..." He looked at himself, then at Cyborg. "I wish we could, er...help. Can't you, like, turn into a dog or something?"

Beast Boy shook his head. "Hurts to phase."

"Well whatever are we going to do?" said Starfire. "We cannot have our friend in the nude!"

Raven spoke up, her cheeks hot.

"I, uh...have an idea."

"What is it?" said Robin.

Raven avoided their gazes, but turned her head over her shoulder in their direction. "Don't judge me. Don't. Say. A _word_."

"Raven, what are you-?" Beast Boy started, but stopped short when he saw her pulling down her pajama pants. "Raven! Wh-wh-wha-?!" He was blushing hard now.

"You see me in a unitard all the time," Raven pointed out, holding up her pajama pants; she was now only wearing her tee shirt and matching underwear. "This is no different. Here." She tossed her pants in the darkness towards him.

There was a shuffling sound as Beast Boy put the pants on; though it took some difficulty, and it caused great pain, he put on a brave face as he managed to pull the hem up on his hips; since the hem was stretchy, it fit him snugly.

"Okay. I'm good," he said finally.

"Alright. I'm coming in," Raven informed him, crossing her arms and stepping into the darkness. "Do you need help getting up?"

"Think so..." He winced as he tried to, and then her arms were around him, pulling him to his feet. He slung his arm around her shoulder; in return she wrapped one arm around his waist, and the other hand gently pressing against his abdomen to keep him steady. As they stepped into the light, they finally saw what was wrong with him.

Not only were there cuts, bruises, and scars, but claw marks written all over him. Across his chest were three long, deep claw marks, and two even longer ones on his backside. Starfire gasped, Cyborg's eye widened then narrowed, and Robin made the slightest of winces.

Raven felt Rage slowly easing its way through her veins, but fought it back. No. She had to stay calm for this.

No matter how much she wanted to find Adonis and rip his head from his-

The empath shook off the thought with a slight shake of her head. All that matters is that Beast Boy was here, and safe in her arms.

* * *

Jade woke with a start, looking around herself with alarm. She wasn't in jail. She wasn't surrounded by police. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She was in some kind of medical bay, with gauze in different amounts in different places (Hmm. They must've cared enough to bandage her up). Three Titans stood around her, arms crossed, their eyes falling on her when she had moved. Looking down at herself, she noticed that she was still in her Cheshire costume. Her mask was behind Speedy, underneath a holographic screen showing all kinds of information, including pictures and video footage of her alter ego.

Their cold stares made her sink back timidly in the surprisingly comfortable pillows.

_I knew they'd hate me..._

"I guess we'll leave you to it," Aqualad said to Speedy, who gave a curt nod.

"Who should we tell?" Bumblebee asked.

"No one," said Speedy. "After I have a little talk with..._her-" _Jade didn't like the way that sounded-"we can all call it a night. I'll call Titans West tomorrow morning."

Aqualad and Bumblebee nodded before departing the room. Jade hugged her knees when she and Speedy were alone, and he looked over at her. Wordlessly, he pulled up a chair and sat down.

"You're probably wondering you're not rotting in a jail cell right now," he broke the silence, almost in an impressive monotone. Jade just nodded, and he leaned in towards her. "I'm not the police, Jade. I'm not going to send you to a court for a jail sentence without bail. The only thing holding me back from turning it in is the fact that I care about you a lot. Now I want the truth. The _whole truth."_

Jade licked her dry lips.

"My name is Jade Nguyen, and it all started in my fowl youth when my parents sold me into slavery..."

Speedy sat back and listened to her story. He broke it down into a summary that goes as follows; Jade went through a crappy childhood, so bad that her own parents-who she believed was her dad's doing-sold her into slavery. After Jade couldn't take it anymore, she killed her own master and ran away. Her mind had been very traumatic back then, feeling like no one loved her, and that no one ever will. Then she was adopted by Weng Chan, who taught her everything he knew about guerilla fighting, as well as introducing her to a life of crime. She became an assassin, her kills never ruthless but actually going after _other _killers. When she was old enough, she moved out on her own, and was hired by many people to assassinate certain people.

And since she found out about the Titans, it sparked up her interest. She fell silent after that, and Speedy continued to stare at her.

"So, you now know both sides of me," she said, biting her lip. "Do you hate me?"

Speedy sighed. "I...I don't _hate _you."

"You hate one side of me."

"That doesn't matter anymore, now that I know who you _really_ are."

"I haven't lied to you the whole time, you know," Jade admitted. "I really do like you, Speedy. You're my best friend, and befriending the Titans was probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. I haven't killed anyone since that night-and that guy was after the mayor, and he was worse than me. You've really changed me. Helped me see the brighter side of my life. Back then, it seemed like there was no hope left for me. I'm still the same girl who hangs out with you endlessly on weekends, who grabs coffee with you on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and who's there for you."

"Then what the hell happened back there?" He gestured towards his patched up cheek and bruised jawline. "Huh? Wanna explain all the times you actually tried to _kill _me?"

"When I put on the mask, I feel...different. Powerful. All my childhood, I've been told I was worthless. As for our fights, I didn't mean for tonight to get out of hand...Old habits die hard."

"You're telling me."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know."

Speedy buried his face in his hands and she looked down at her bare feet.

"I've...thought about what you said." Her voice came out in a shaky murmur. "About the hero thing. And I have considered it. But that's like Slade becoming the head of the Boy Scouts Association. It's not that easy when you're in the crime life so deep..."

Speedy lifted his head, surprised by what she had said. "How do you know about-?"

"Terra," Jade said simply. "And you know what? Despite everything she did to the Titans, to her friends, to the _city, _they actually forgave her and she's working on the Honorary Titan title. I admire her for that. I wish I could be like that. There's no hope for me."

Something clicked in Speedy's brain. "You know, she's not the only one who came back on the hero side. Jinx was evil all her life, but Kid Flash managed to push her in the right direction, and they both fell for each other in the process. And they're still together. And Raven? Yeah, she's the daughter of the most evil demon of them all, yet look at her now."

"Raven's never killed anyone."

"Technically."

Jade was quiet for a while, letting that sink in.

"Well...I-"

Speedy got up from his seat, now sitting on the bed, and Jade let her legs stretch out by him. "There _is _hope, Jade. I know that." He reached out and gripped her hand, squeezing it gently, aware of her patched up fingers. "You just _might_ have a chance. And I can help you. We all will."

Jade's eyes almost brightened. "You mean it?"

Speedy nodded. "And like I said, I'm not going to report you to the police. Your identity is safe with me, like my identity will be safe with you."

"What're you talking about?"

Speedy removed his hand, and Jade watched with almost hungry eyes as his hands slid up to his face. Looking back over at her, her brown eyes met his green ones. "My name is Roy Harper."

And that's when he told her his story in return. He kept it brief, since she already had an idea about his childhood, skipping ahead to being Green Arrow's sidekick, and eventually becoming a Teen Titan. Once he fell silent, she just gawked at him. He lightly chuckled, checking the time.

"It's getting late," he said.

"Maybe I should get going..." she started to say.

"Oh no you don't. You're staying here tonight," he said. "That's an order."

"What makes you think you can tell me what to do?"

He slipped his mask back on his face and smirked. "Not unless you don't want a spot on this team."

Jade's eyes widened. "Really?!"

Speedy placed a finger to his mouth, and she tightened her lips, pretending to zip it closed with an imaginary key and throw it away. "They don't know that yet. But the spot is open and optional. It's your choice, Jade. We can show you the ropes, or..." He didn't have to finish.

"In that case I'll stay," she said, and he nodded in approval. Without warning, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you so much, Roy...You don't have any idea what this means to me."

Speedy wrapped an arm around her back, his nose buried in the side of her shoulder. Damn, she smelled good. "No problem."

"And I'm sorry for...punching you in the face...and nailing you in the balls..."

He laughed. "Back at cha. Minus the balls part. Otherwise, if there's something you're not telling me, you better let me know right now..."

She giggled against him. "Don't worry. I'm fully female last time I checked."

* * *

Healing Beast Boy took some time.

They had been alone for quite some time, Beast Boy being absolutely still at Raven's command. But his eyes followed her every movement; it truely was amazing to see her doing what she does. Healing him. Helping him. He really was lucky to have a girl like her in his life, as a best friend.

Although that girlfriend title would be kinda nice.

What caught the changeling offguard was the appearance on Raven's face as she healed the scars on his chest. At first there was nothing, and then her eyebrows scrunched down as scars began to appear on her own face, fresh blood leaking from the wounds.

"Raven...? Raven, stop," he told her. "I'm hurting you!"

Raven shook her head. "I'm fine."

The cuts got deeper, and he could smell the blood on her. Her eyelids fluttered, but she fought on. She had to heal him. She had to...just a little more...just...concentrate and...-

"Raven, stop! Stop it!" He gripped her arms, and with a gasp, she fell slack against him. He cradled her face in his hands, forcing their eyes to meet. Much to his relief, she began to relax and breath normally, closing her eyes for a moment before the wounds started disappearing from her body. "Dude...what just happened?"

Raven opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. "The way I heal people is different than what you think it is," she explained. "In order for it to work, I literally take your pain away and inflict it upon myself."

"That's terrible..."

Raven shrugged, her eyes falling on his lean, distracting thing he called a body. "Well...you're healed for the most part." She trailed her fingers along the faint lines where the scars have been. "These will just have to heal on their own. And you might want to keep an eye out on that rib."

"Thanks." She nodded. "And, hey, do you want your pants back?"

Raven gave him a look, but complied. "Fine. But let me leave the room before you start stripping in front of me." She began to head for the exit.

"Hey!" he called after her, getting to his feet, and she turned to look at him. He gave her a sultry smile, pulling teasingly at the pajama strings. "I do owe you a little show. You can stay if you want." He winked at her.

Raven arched an eyebrow, though a portion of her body just screamed _Yes please! _"Is that The Beast talking?"

There was a twinkle in his eyes. "Maybe."

Raven bit her lip, and for a moment Beast Boy thought that she was gonna cave. Then she scoffed and left the room while saying, "...On second thought, keep the pants."

* * *

**Hehe, oh naughty BB ;D You'd be surprised with what I can get away with for a T rated story (slightly spoiler alert, just sayin'. Haven't written a good RobStar scene in a while ;))**

**But c'mon, Raven, it won't take long for you to give in! I know I would if I was her.**

**Anyway, review! :D**


	18. The Forbidden Apples

**Behold, my followers! I am back with yet another chapter! :)  
**

**RobStar scene dedicated to FabulousRoss!**

* * *

"Jade is Cheshire?" Robin repeated to confirm it. It was sunrise, and Speedy had caught him just as he stepped out of the shower; the Teen Wonder had slid on a pair of black sweats quickly before he had answered. The news utterly shocked him, but as he put it all together...he realized that he should've seen it coming from the get-go.

Speedy nodded from the other side of the transmission. "Yes. She'll be staying with us until further notice. I'll be keeping an eye out on her."

"Are you sure that's the best choice?"

"Yes."

"Have you considered-"

"-Yes."

"And have you-"

"Already done. Anything else?"

Robin's lips curved up in a smile. "It's your team, I guess. If you need anything, just call."

"Will do. Speedy out."

The transmission ended, and Robin sighed, closing his laptop. At the same time, a soft knock was heard at the door. He turned in his seat, smiling when he saw a sleepy looking Starfire standing in the doorway; she was wearing a white, silky spaghetti strapped nightgown that ended just above her knees. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, slightly messy from sleep, her bangs framing her face.

"Robin?" she yawned, pressing her fist against her mouth. "Who was calling this early?"

"Speedy. He just called to inform me about some confidential information." He took off his mask and placed it next to his laptop, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"There is no trouble," she assured him, and he smiled a little. "I have done the awakening shortly before I heard your voice. My curiosity abounded..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes falling on his low-riding bottoms. _Oh X'hal..._

"Mm." He smirked and sat down on the edge of his bed, patting the spot next to him. She smiled and joined him, resting her hands in her lap. With a sigh, he reached over and joined their fingers. "Speedy found the identity of Cheshire last night?"

"Really?" Starfire's eyes widened. "What happened? Is he alright? Is our friend injured?"

"No, no, no, nothing too bad," he assured her, and she sighed in relief. "It's just...well...the girl...behind the mask...is _Jade."_

She gasped. "Jade? You are speaking of-?"

"Yes. Yes, that Jade."

Starfire was quiet after that, looking down in her lap. She just couldn't believe it. Her friend, the quiet, timid girl she knew was really a...a...a killer? "How...is he taking this?"

"He's...coping," Robin allowed. Her silence slightly worried him. "Hey...hey..." He tried to catch her gaze while she avoided his. Hand leaving hers, his fingers trailing up her peachy skin until his fingertips found her hair, tucking a free strand behind her ear so he could see her face better. "What's wrong?"

"Oh Richard, I am just...just so..._worried." _She admitted, turning her body to face him, and he did the same with his.

"About?"

"Friend Jade has committed all these crimes! She is surely to be taken to prison and-" She bit her lip, tears threatening to form in her green orbs; she then buried her face in his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her arms in a gentle rhythm.

"Don't worry about it, Koriand'r, okay?" He told her. "Speedy isn't taking Jade to jail."

"H-He's not?"

"No." He lifted a hand and began stroking her hair. "He's making her stay there, at Titans East. She's willing to try the hero thing, but we all know that's going to come with complications. Bumblebee and Aqualad don't know, but it's a possibility that she'll be joining them."

"He must really care for her then."

"Yes. He does." His blue eyes met her green ones as she lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"Dick?"

"Yes, Kori?"

She licked her lips. "If I...had ended up...similarly like my sister...and...I had been doing what Jade does...would you...still love me?"

It took a bit before he could answer. "Of course I will. Why would you ask that?"

"Well...because you were raised by the Batman, and you are strongly on the side of law and are opposed to...-"

He stopped her with a soft kiss, and she melted into it automatically. He pulled back to say, "Even if you were a villain, nothing would ever stop me from loving you."

She smiled up at him. "Really?"

"Really." He smiled back.

With a happy giggle, she reunited their lips once more, her hand weaving through his wet hair; he responded with a soft groan, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. Slowly, his calloused hands traveled down her back, itching to feel the skin that was covered; then, curving around her butt (making her heart jump and her back arch against him), his hand cupped underneath her knee and hitched her leg around his hip, bringing them even _closer _together. A shaky breath escaped the alienness as she tightened her muscles around his hip, bucking hers against his; she let her fingers run down his moist chest and stomach, admiring his "abundant limb strength", and used her fingernails to lightly drag them across his skin; he shuddered, and she smiled against his mouth.

A playful growl escaping his lips, she suddenly felt herself being flipped over, her back pressing into his bed as he hovered over her; his gaze burned into her skin as he hungrily observed the sight in front of her, making her blush. Before she became as red as a tomato, his lips were back on hers passionately. Her hands went around to his back and he held back a sound of pleasure as her fingernails dug in his back; legit. This was both painful and enjoyable. He was sure she was leaving marks. Breaking their kiss to give her some air, he used this opportunity to explore her neck, and he loved that little surprised squeak and moan that emitted from her. He was careful, smart enough to not leave her hickies, and vice versa; being heroes, it would make headlines that a Titans couple fought crime while having love marks all over their necks. Oh yeah. Not happening. The jokes would never end.

But he did come close. He kissed. Nibbled. Gently bit. And even licked-at certain spots made her giggle and squirm. While he did so, she held him in her arms, her eyes closed; his name came in whispers and soft coos. The Teen Wonder had been so busy on her neck and gently groping her that he didn't notice his girlfriend's hands drifting down, down, and down until...

Robin gasped, pulling back to look at her. Her hands were buried underneath his sweats, cupped around his cheeks. _The _cheeks.

"_Star!_" He whispered.

She smiled innocently. "I see you are not wearing the undergarments."

His cheeks were a bright red, lost for words; a part of his mind screamed at him, _OH-WH?-THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! NOT APPROPRIATE, _while the other part screamed, _HOLY SHIT, HER HANDS ARE ON MY ASS, REPEAT, HER HANDS ARE ON THE FORBIDDEN APPLES. IS THIS PG-13? This will be totally R rated if we had it the other way around..._

_But other than that, this feels soooo gooooood. Ugh. I have to end this before we both do something irrational...not that I'd mind but...there's only so far we can go...  
_

Her lips were on his again, cutting his train of thought. Wait...thought...what is thought again? What was his name?...Richard? Oh yeah, right. She kept saying it. Why would he forget that?

Heavy footsteps coming his room's direction caused the couple to pause briefly before looking at each other. Robin sighed. Cyborg. Great timing. Robin gave Starfire another kiss, removing her hands from his pants and instead pinned them above her head.

There was a pause.

"Hey, Cyborg," Robin said without looking away from Starfire's embarrassed gaze.

"Uh..good morning?" Cyborg said awkwardly, and then his heavy footsteps faded away. Robin held back his laughter with difficulty while Starfire just giggled; the lighter side of him one, and he laughed along with her. Unable to resist, he leaned down and captured her lips with his once more; her lips shaped themselves around his, letting him dominate over her for a little while. She didn't mind; besides, they both knew they'd have to get up within a few minutes.

And no one was complaining.

* * *

Raven self-consciously entered the Ops the following morning for breakfast. She felt so odd when she had reluctantly put her pajama pants back on; Beast Boy's scent lingered, mingling with hers and making a new scent that was actually quite pleasant.

She had came in on a conversation that Beast Boy himself was having with Robin. Cyborg was listening from nearby, cooking breakfast.

"...and that's exactly what he told me," the changeling was saying. "I didn't believe it, but when I saw them all together, it freaked me out."

"Saw who, may I ask?"

Raven didn't even hear Starfire come in.

Robin sighed. "You two came just in time." He gestured for them to sit. Starfire sat down next to him while Raven quietly sat down next to Beast Boy.

"What's going on?" Raven asked this time.

Beast Boy sighed then, and the two males exchanged a long glance before Robin spoke.

"Beast Boy was telling me what happened last night-he couldn't sleep so he went out for some air," Robin began. "As soon as he caught Adonis's scent again, his primal side took over and he went after it. What he found, however, surprised him."

"Which was?" Starfire pressed gently.

Robin took her hand in his. "He saw a few...familiar faces with Adonis. There was him,_ Red X_, two people he didn't recognize-a male, and a female. The male resembled Brother Blood, and the female just gave him odd vibes. And...your sister. Blackfire."

Starfire's eyes widened. "My sister?" Then narrowed. "Komand'r?" Then softened slightly. "She's...she's here?"

Robin nodded. "Yes. Apparently, Red X is the leader of their so called team, since he was calling the shots. No one fought. The others left after X told Adonis to come home within the next hour. And that's when Adonis phased and attacked Beast Boy."

"So they're, what? An evil team?" Cyborg spoke up.

"Let's look at the facts," said Raven. "Red X-not exactly a hero, not exactly a villain. Categorized as an anti-hero. And if he's the leader of them all, then that means that they're all anti-heroes. Not heroes, not villains. Just right smack in the middle."

"That does make sense. Blackfire didn't even look menacing or anything," said Beast Boy. "Oh, and by the way," he turned to Starfire, "she wanted me to tell you that she said hi."

Starfire tried to smile and failed. "I see..."

"What's the plan, dawg?" Cyborg asked Robin as he flipped a pancake.

Robin puzzled, stroking his chin with his free hand as he thought. The Titans were quiet as they watched their leader think things through; plan. The silence dragged for about a minute-Starfire and Raven legit mentally counted to 60 before the masked hero stood and said, "I need to make a phone call."

And with that, he left the room, with Starfire trailing behind.

Cyborg looked at his watch. "Looks like I need to call Bee, see how she's copin' with the Not-Being-The-Leader thing. Be right back!" he told the other two before walking out of the Ops.

"How are you feeling?" Raven murmured.

"'M alright," Beast Boy murmured back. "Sorry about..."

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I..."

"I know."

"Right." He hesitated, biting his lip. "Do you...maybe...wanna...I don't know...hang out sometime today?"

"Doing what?" she questioned.

"I, uh...I don't know. Whatever you want."

Raven smiled softly. "Okay...we've both had a long night, especially you. So...I guess...we can do whatever you want?"

"Really?" his face brightened, and she nodded. "Well...Okay. Cyborg had mentioned once about heading down to Titans East this week, and I think that it might be today. I saw his bags packed up in his room. He might be gone for a while."

"Mhmm..."

"And...actually I was thinking that maybe you, me, Robin, and Starfire can do something? Just the four of us? I like it when we hang out together."

The way he was talking sounded like a double date. Was it? It didn't sound like a bad idea..."I guess...that's okay...should I wear something...fancy or-?" _Oh Azar, why did I just say that? It's not like we're going out to a five star restaurant._

"Oh no, no! Dress like whatever. What makes you comfortable." He smiled at her. "So...whaddaya say?"

"Count me in, I guess."

"Awesome!" He stood up, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before racing out the room. "Thanks, Rae! See you later!"

She touched the spot where he kissed her, her cheeks flushed.

And, somewhere nearby, a window cracked.


	19. Don't Be Afraid

**Hey guys!**

**Looks like Fanfiction's finally allowing more than two pairings listed to a story, so I added the pairings back in! xP**

**But yeah, this...this chapter right here? Morely BBRae centered. You shall see why ;D**

* * *

"You suuuure you guys won't miss me too much?" Cyborg asked, leaning out of the T-Car.

"Go, Cyborg," Beast Boy told him. "Your girl needs you."

Cyborg looked at Robin.

"Stay as long as you're needed," Robin said, arms crossed.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Are you _sure?"_

_"Yes."_

"I mean are you _sure-"_

"Just. _Go,_" said Raven, and Cyborg sent her a hurt look. "Um...love you, Cyborg?"

Cyborg chuckled. "Back at cha, Rae!"

"We will miss you, friend!" Starfire waved as he backed out of the driveway. "Send Bumblebee our greetings and love!"

"Will do! Bye, ya'll!"

* * *

"It was very generous for Beast Boy to invite us," Starfire said, smoothing down her loose curls. She wore a white tank top with light green stripes tucked in a soft pink bow skirt that had some ruffles, and nude pumps. Her jewelry consisted of a few bracelets, hoop earrings, and a golden necklace with her name in cursive writing (curtesy of Robin himself).

"Mhmm," Robin said absentmindly, having a blue cell phone-sized holograph in his hands as he searched something, occasionally tapping the screen with his thumb; he wore a long-sleeved, fitted dark red tee, black skinny jeans, and black converse.

Starfire, curious, walked over to him and looked over his shoulder. "Whatever are you doing?"

"Mhmm."

"Robin?"

"Mhmm."

She arched an eyebrow and said artfully, "I am going to venture to Raven's bedroom where we will do the pillow fighting and explore our sexualities with each other."

This snapped Robin out of his concentration. "_What?!"_

Starfire gave him a look, then her face softened into a sweet smile. "What're you doing?"

"Oh. Just getting a lock on Red X," he said simply. "If he tries to pull anything while we're out-"

"No."

"No?"

"No!" She snatched the holograph from him and closed it.

"Star!" Robin complained, lunging for it when she put it-yes-in her bra-_Oh not the bra-_, and he froze. "Awww, whhyyyy?" He whined.

"You will _not_ be on duty while we are out having the fun!" Starfire told him.

"But-!"

"No!"

"But-!"

"Do the zipping of it or you will not get any!"

Robin's eyes widened behind his mask. "Wh-Wh?! S-Starfire, do you know what you just said?"

Starfire just smiled.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy made his way to Raven's room; he wore a black shirt with violet sleeves that stopped at the elbows, black skinny jeans, and black vans. He walked with a pep in his step, so the three knocks on her door were very chipper.

"Rae! You ready, yet?" he asked brightly.

There was a moment of silence before her door slid open, and Raven stepped out with a little smile on her face. "Hey." The empath was wearing a steel blue sleeveless cardigan with six thin, navy blue soft stripes on each side; a dark purple dress underneath that hung loosely and stopped a couple of inches above her knees-it was plain and simple, with teardrop shaped designs around the bust, but suited her nonetheless; and black velvet boots with a flat heel, her long, black and purple striped socks could be seen, extended a few inches further. Her eyes were edgier, lips looking smoother and held the lightest of shines.

He had a dopey grin on his face now. "Hey."

"Do I...look okay?"

"Better than okay."

Raven nodded, smiling at him a little more fully. "Let's go."

The two walked down the hallway, heading towards the Ops in peaceful silence. The doors slid open, and Robin and Starfire looked up; the alieness gasped and smiled when she saw the empath.

"Ready?" said Robin.

"Let's go!" Beast Boy said, echoing Raven from earlier.

The boys led the way out while the girls followed, the alieness and empath arm in arm with each other.

"Raven, you look very stunning," Starfire whispered to her.

"Thanks, but I still look like a seventh dwarf compared to you," Raven said back.

Starfire paused to think for a moment. "You are referring to the Snow White fairy tale, yes?"

Raven nodded.

"Oh Raven, you must have more confidence in yourself. You are beautiful, even if you do not see it. Did Beast Boy compliment you when he set his eyes on you?"

Raven nodded again.

"Then I believe the earthly term is, 'I put my case to rest'?"

Raven cracked a smile but shrugged. "Close enough. Thanks, Starfire."

"It is no problem!"

"Ya know, Rob, I've been thinking about getting a-" Beast Boy started to say.

"You are _not _getting another moped," Robin told the changeling firmly. "Remember what happened the last time?"

"Let me finish!" Beast Boy sighed. "Anyway. I was thinking that, instead of buying one..., maybe I could make my own from scratch? And you could help me?"

This caused Robin to ponder that. "Mmm...and what vehicle are we talking about?"

"Iono...like a motorcycle or a motorbike? Wait...are they the same thing? Whatever. I want to be more original, since Cyborg has a car and you have a motorcycle...and, um..." He lowered his voice, "Girls like guys who drive fast motor vehicles."

Robin smirked. Not only did Beast Boy want a vehicle, but he also wanted to impress _Raven. _"Alright, Beast Boy. I'll help you make your..._B-Bike_."

"B-Bike? Heeeyyy, that's got a nice ring to it...thanks, dude!"

"No problem."

Since the T-Car was gone, the T-Ship would be a little over-the-top, and use of the R-Cycle wouldn't be fair in Beast Boy and Raven's case. So the four decided to walk, or in Starfire and Raven's case, flew some of the way.

"Please, may I ask where is our destination?" Starfire questioned once they were in Downtown Jump.

Beast Boy looked around, stomach growling, and then his eyes spotted a nearby restaurant. "Anybody hungry?" He pointed to it, which was entitled _Ol' Harley's._

"Now that you mention it..." Robin said, hand over his stomach as it growled.

"I have the hunger as well," Starfire agreed, landing softly on the ground next to Robin, and Raven simutaneously next to Beast Boy.

"I second that," Raven said in her quiet monotone.

Beast Boy smiled. "Great! Let's go!"

TT

The four Titans sat in a booth, the girls across from the boys. The restaurant wasn't dimly lit, but it also wasn't that bright either; it set a calming mood. The kitchen could be seen, as well as artistic paintings of popular images and famous people above it. The restaurant was an all American food joint, with some exotic inspiration here and there. When their waitress came around, who just happened to be that red-headed girl from the tattoo/piercing shop Raven and Jinx went to, they ordered drinks. For Robin, it was Coke. For Starfire, pink lemonade. For Beast Boy, Sprite. And for Raven, sweet tea.

"Wow, Rae, I didn't know you drank cold tea," Beast Boy noted with a chuckle.

"I normally don't," Raven replied back as she took a sip. "I've never had sweet tea before." Then another. "But this...is surprisingly good."

"Woooow, you need to get out more."

Raven arched an eyebrow.

"Shutting up now."

"No, you're right," she said to him. "The only places I go to outside of the Tower when not fighting crime are at _Tenebris Casu _and libraries and bookstores." Beast Boy arched an eyebrow. "It means The Dark Cafe in Latin. Go figure."

"Ah. Explains so much."

"Please, friend. What other languages do you know?" Starfire questioned.

Raven sighed. "Besides Latin and English? German, Romanian, ancient Sumerian, and Sanskrit."

Starfire smiled and nodded, then turned to Robin as it fell and she said lightly, "I have not heard of the last half of what she has said."

Robin chuckled. "It's okay, Star. I don't know Sanskrit either."

Starfire smiled wider at him.

After ordering their dinner-a steak combo for Robin, a burger combo (with extra mustard on the side) for Starfire, a vegan burger and salad for Beast Boy, and a caesar salad for Raven-Beast Boy started back up a random conversation.

"So, dudes, where do we go after this?"

"It was your idea, Beast Boy. You pick," Robin told him.

"Riiiight. How does a movie sound? And maybe a walk in the park later?"

"A walk in the park? Oh, that sounds so romantic!" Starfire beamed.

"I'm in!" Robin said automatically, then cleared his throat, realizing how eagerly stupid he just sounded. "I mean, uh, yeah. I guess that's acceptable."

Beast Boy smiled and nodded, turning to Raven. "How 'bout it, Rae?"

Raven knew she was outvoted. "Fine. I guess that'll be okay."

* * *

_Maaaaan, I'm stuffed, _Beast Boy thought as he and his friends made their way to the movie theater. _I wonder what move everyone's looking forward to see..._

_Robin wants to see some sort of Action._

_Starfire's all for Romance._

_I'm Team Comedy._

_And Raven wants nothing better than to see a Horror._

_Ooooohhh boy._

"What do you guys wanna see?" he asked carefully. "We can do a vote!"

Robin observed the movie posters. "Err..."

"I don't care, you guys pick," Raven droned, crossing her arms.

"Please, friends! I have not seen the film, _Warm Bodies_ yet!" Starfire jumped up and down, and everyone gave her a look. "Pleeeeeease! It has the genre of movie films that each of us enjoy! There is the action," she said to Robin, "the comedy," to Beast Boy, "the horror sequences," to Raven, "and romance!" She squealed.

Robin sighed, knowing he couldn't say no to her. "I guess you have my vote then." Starfire beamed at him and gave him a tight, yet snug, hug.

"Sure, sure," Beast Boy said. _What the hell? Kid Flash told me it was pretty funny when he took Jinx to go see it._

Starfire smiled and nodded, then looked at Raven for confirmation.

Raven shrugged. "...Warm Bodies it is."

"GLORIOUS!"

And as it turned out, each Titan ended up loving that movie.

TT

Beast Boy was about to suggest a mean game of stankball as they entered the city park, but Robin beat him to it by doing something else entirely; the Teen Wonder wrapped his arm around Starfire's waist and said, "We'll meet back up with you guys in an hour." Starfire looked surprised, but when she met Robin's eyes, she caught on quickly and leaned into him naturally.

"W-What?" Beast Boy stammered.

"Why not?" Robin asked innocently, looking up at the cloudless sky, where the stars and moon shined bright. "It's a beautiful night."

"But-!"

"Later." Robin smirked, and he and Starfire turned to walk down a path, their fingers lacing together between them.

"Goodbye, friends!" Starfire called over her shoulder with a giggle.

Beast Boy inwardly groaned, then turned to the quiet empath next to him. He realized-Robin did this on purpose, not just so he could spend time with Starfire before they went home, but so Beast Boy could have some time alone with Raven. He had this chance. This one chance to maybe tell Raven how he felt. And he better not mess this up! The moon was full. The stars were out. And thankfully the park wasn't crowded.

It was time for some magic.

No pun intended.

"After you, milady," the changeling said goofily, gesturing forward. Like he expected, she had rolled her eyes but smiled nontheless and walked forward first. He caught up with her until they were walking side by side, almost perfectly in sync in step.

The two friends were silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts; Beast Boy wondering what to say and how to say it, and Raven mentally yelling at her emoticlones to shut up with their fangirling.

"Sooooo," Beast Boy said finally after a while. "You enjoying tonight?"

It took a bit before Raven finally spoke, "Actually...yes."

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Really?"

Raven nodded. "I found myself having a pleasant time with you..." Their eyes met. "And Robin and Starfire," she added quickly, and he blushed.

"Same here. I've kinda always looked forward to hanging with you..." Eyes met again. "A-And Robin and Starfire." She blushed this time, faintly, but noticeable. "Do you think you maybe wanna...I don't know...do this again?"

"Us four hanging out?" Raven asked to clarify.

"Or just me and you." He saw Raven's eyes widen by the slightest. "That is if you want!" He added in a panic.

Raven almost smiled, looking forward. "That would be...nice."

Beast Boy's eyes shined. "Great."

"Yeah...um...Gar...?"

"Mm?"

"What...was being with the Doom Patrol like?"

Surprised by her curiosity, he answered anyway, "Oh, it was fun, I guess. I was treated like a kid, but I was loved unconditionally. I enjoyed going on missions because I felt like a true hero. And since I couldn't save my parents, I vowed myself that I would save others. So they wouldn't have to go through what I went through...still going through...But eventually, I got tired of being pushed around like I was a helpless shrimp and I quit." He shrugged. "Moved to Jump, was homeless for a little while, but when you could turn into any animal, finding spare food wasn't that hard. And then I met you guys." He smiled at her. "And since we became the Titans, I have never been happier. Even though Robin's the leader, everyone's treated as equals."

Raven nodded.

_Ohmygosh, he looks so sad! Hold his hand to make him happy again! _Happy begged. _I love holding his hand! It's so soft, yet masculine and calloused..._

_A kiss will make any boo boo go away! _Love pointed out with a giggle.

_Heh. You said boo boo, _Brave snickered.

_Oh very mature, _Wisdom sighed.

"What about you? What was it like in Azarath?" He asked, pulling her away from her thoughts.

Raven snorted and said, "Quiet."

Beast Boy laughed, "Really? Like, legit?"

"As quiet as a library, yes. I was very obediant growing up. Quiet. Withdrawn. But I always had a lingering darkness over my head...I had a love for reading, and that's what I was most likely doing wherever you found me."

"And your mom? What about her now? Is she, like, dead or...?"

"When Trigon came to power, he 'destroyed' Azarath, including everyone and everything in it. But it was all just a vision. Azarath is still there, as well as my mother and a few citizens. I haven't been there in so long..."

"When was the last time you talked to your mom?"

"...that time that I...got...that...monster zit," she admitted, embarrassed, and he laughed. Good times, gooood times. "I'm glad you think that's funny."

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever."

"I'll win you a stuffed bear the next time we go to the amusement park?"

Raven softly smiled. "...Okay."

They approached the skating area of the park and continued to walk no where in particular. Beast Boy asked Raven random questions just to hear the sound of her voice, which he was rapidly becoming attuned to.

"What's your...worst fear?" he asked next, causing Raven to pause. He saw her stiffen and smelled the rising fear on her. He stopped walking too.

"Worst fear?" She repeated.

"Uh huh."

The empath shifted uncomfortably, hugging herself. "You'll laugh at me if I told you."

"Oh come on. My worst fear is kinda obvious-loosing the ones I love. But other than that, it would be harming any other animal in any form or fashion." He shuddered. "It just gives me the chills thinking about it."

Silence.

"Raven?" He touched her shoulder.

She took a deep breath. "Okay...well...besides the obvious, like you said, my worst fear is...is..." She bit her lip and turned to face him.

"Is what?"

Her breath came out shaky. "Dragons."

_Dragons?_

"Dragons?" he repeated, and she nodded.

"You know when I told you about the nightmares?" Beast Boy nodded. "Well...the creatures that chased me would either be some of Trigon's minions but...the majority of the time...the thing chasing me is always..._Malchior_."

At the mention of Malchior's name, the Beast growled within the pit of Beast Boy's stomach; Beast Boy should've known. He knew something was off when she said dragons! She didn't just mean dragons in general...

She meant the very bastard who broke her heart.

And Raven, _his _Raven, was afraid of him.

"Rae-"

"Back when we fought the Brotherhood of Evil, I noticed that they had freed him once more from the book. But...after the battle was over...he disappeared. He's still out there, Gar. I can feel it. And I _hate_ being afraid of him. It makes me feel so...so _weak_. I always have a feeling that one day he'll...he'll come back for me."

Beast Boy fought back the growing fury and bloodlust raging inside him. He managed to keep his voice gentle as he said, "No he won't."

"You don't know that."

"Who cares? Look, if he comes back, then you know that we got your back. I got your back." He gripped her hand. "And I won't let him hurt you."

Raven was touched, and she gave him a little smile.

An idea popped in his head, and he looked around himself. They were standing in a pretty clear spot...

"I got an idea," he said, backing away from her.

"What're you doing?"

"You said you feared dragons, right?" He looked around himself once more, legs spreading out a little more.

Raven didn't like where this was going. "Gar..."

"The only way to conquer your fear is to face it."

"Please don't..." She took a step back. But it was too late.

Because Beast Boy was already phasing. His body became larger, slender, legs and arms disappearing. "Don't be afraid," he told her before his mouth became a sharp snout, his head getting more narrow in shape. Wings sprouted, bones breaked to replace larger ones, forming claws and hind legs. Barely five seconds had passed, yet now standing before her was a dangerously beautiful, dark green dragon, looking almost black in the moonlight.

Raven's breathing excelerated as Beast Boy prowled slowly towards her at a hesitant rate. She shook her head. "Stay back." Her voice shook as she held out her hand, taking a step back. Her eyes were wide, frightful, and beginning to water. She was surprised her powers hadn't gotten out of control yet. Back in Nevermore, Timid ran away crying and hiding behind the other emoticlones. Happy didn't look so happy as she too shied away, and Love looked almost shaken. Wisdom was the only one that hadn't moved from her place on the ground. The rest of the emoticlones were nowhere to be found.

Beast Boy noticed her shaking and inwardly frowned. But he won't give up. Although it pained him to see her this way, he continued to advance on her. The empath's whimpers became breathless and uneven as she backed away. Unexpectedly, she lost her footing and fell down on her butt. Like a girl from a horror film, she scurried backwards, tears running down her pale cheeks. Oh she hated him for making her feel so vulnerable like this...

Slowly, his body slithered and began to encircle the still shaking empath; he was gentle, knowing that if he went too fast then he'd shock her to death. Her eyes fluttered close as she tried to calm her breathing; once she felt she was okay, she opened her eyes just as his dragon head lowered to meet her gaze. Raven was trapped. No...encased was the better word. That word replaced trapped as she could feel his emotions hitting her one by one. Friend. Ally. Protect. Kind. Loving.

As if to confirm this, he leaned forward, carefully nuzzling the side of her face as if he were a canine; licking her would be over the top. The changeling pulled back and watched in relief as she visually began to relax.

Her eyes locked with his, her shudders from crying starting to cease. With a shaky hand, she reached out to touch his cheek...or rather where his cheek would be, and he closed his eyes in relaxation for a moment. With her free hand, she felt the other side of his face, then down his front, slightly mesmerized by the contrasting smooth and rough textures that was her best friend.

And then, like before, Beast Boy opened his eyes before slowly phasing back. Raven dropped her hands before he was phased back completely; when he was human again, he was kneeling in front of her, eyeing her carefully. She looked dazed. A little too dazed.

"Raven?"

Her gaze drifted off to the side, towards the ground.

"Hey, listen...I didn't mean to scare you. I just-"

"I know," she interjected gently before meeting his gaze. "You were just...looking...out...for me..."

Beast Boy got to his feet, holding a hand out to her. Raven took it and got to her feet; she hung her head.

"I'm so stupid," she murmured. "Look at me. Out of all the bad things I could be afraid of, I have the worst fear of dragons."

"Hey, hey..." He lifted up her chin with his index finger. "You're not stupid. You're amazing, okay? THE most amazing girl I've ever met."

Raven's heart fluttered. "You really mean that?"

Beast Boy gave her a lopsided grin. "You bet."

Their gazes lingered before falling to the other's lips, then back up again; Raven was frozen, feeling his hand slide over and down, palm over the side of her neck, his fingers extending up her jawline and back into her hair. Her heartbeat took off at a fast, uneven rate.

Beast Boy felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. He couldn't believe what was happening. He was gonna do it. He was finally gonna kiss Raven! Not only was he scared of rejection (yet the Beast never took no for an answer) he also felt a strange amount of...confidence. He needed to tell her how he felt. No, show her. Right here. Right now.

Raven's eyes fluttered as their noses touched; she still hadn't moved. She wasn't saying yes. She wasn't saying no. On second thought, it was a big fat hell yes. Shutting all her thoughts down, she closed her eyes and let him close the gap between them.

Beast Boy closed his eyes, molding his lips onto hers; instinctively, Raven's lips yielded against his. Slowly, lips parted, then hesitantly joined together again; her lips shaped themselves around his as she relaxed into him and-

As if a light bulb went off in her head, dark energy shot out like lightning, striking out the light in the light pole above their heads; they automatically pulled away from each other completely and he began stammering. "I-I-I...uh...um..." He smiled sheepishly at her, blushing adorably.

"Sorry...um..." Raven looked at the ground, feeling emotionally unstable.

"Yeah, um...me too. I..."

"I have to go."

"I-wait, what?"

"I'm sorry, Gar."

"No, wait!" Beast Boy reached for her, but was received with a disappearing through the ground as she teleported, black energy surrounding her.

Beast Boy dropped his arm, ears drooping.

_Oh what have I done_?


	20. Her Departure

**Heyyy! I'm taking it that you guys took the last chappie very well, haha ;DD**

**Special shoutout to Starfire for reviewing just about every chapter! Thanks, hun! :)**

**Now, I believe it is time for another anticipating chapter! Hazar!**

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" **  
**

Robin and Starfire looked up, Starfire reluctantly leaving the warmth of Robin's arms to see her friend walking up to them.

"Friend!" Starfire flew to him, cupping his cheeks. "Why do you talk to oneself? Where is Raven? What causes you stress?"

Beast Boy took Starfire's hands off his face, placing them gently back at her sides. "I don't know. We were talking, and she told me her worst fear, so I helped her conquer it. Things were going fine until I kissed her. She freaked out and...she disappeared. Teleported."

Starfire gasped. "You performed the lip contact? That is so wonderful! It is too...upsettting that she rejected you. My apologies."

"She didn't exactly _reject_ me..." Beast Boy's ears turned pink. "She may have kinda sorta kissed me back before her powers made a light bulb explode."

"I think I know what's going on," Robin spoke up, putting his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "Raven's powers might've been acting up. Just give her some space. She'll come around."

Beast Boy turned his hurt gaze on his leader. "How long, Richard?"

Robin gave him a reassuring, yet hopeless look. "I don't know, Garfield. I don't know..."

"Perhaps I may be of assistance," said Starfire, and the boys looked at her questionably.

* * *

"I feel that she might be more comfortable talking to me," she continued, walking between her male companions as they made their way towards Raven's room. Crashes were heard before they even reached the empath's door. "Raven?" Starfire called, knocking on the door. "May I come in?"

Thump.

_"A-Are you alone?"_ Even Raven knew that answer, her voice shaky.

"Um..." Starfire turned around, waving her hands wildly at the changeling and teen wonder, whom began running away as fast as they could. "Now I am!"

A moment of silence passed before Raven's door slid open, and a grey hand reached out, yanking the alieness inside the empath's dark domain.

Starfire gasped, observing her surroundings. Raven's usual neat room was a mess, bed flipped over, bookshelves broken and split in two, papers flying everywhere. She ducked and yelped as a spell book barely missed her head.

And then she caught sight of her best friend. Paler than usual. Visibly shaken. Moist cheeks. Eyes wide and wild with so many emotions trying to take over at once.

"Beast Boy told us what happened..." Starfire said, tapping her index fingers together; a habit of hers when she got nervous or curious.

"Did he tell you what my worst fear was?" Raven was shaking. Starfire straightened up Raven's bed, then guided her to it so they could both sit down; Starfire wrapped his arms around her to try to stop the grey teen's shaking, and Raven sighed, relaxing into her and resting her head on Starfire's shoulder.

"He has not mentioned the details." Starfire rubbed Raven's shoulders. "But he looked so crestfallen when he told Robin and I what happened...after you two did the kissing..."

Raven stiffened. "Dragons."

"Dragons?"

"Malchior..." Raven bit her lip. "I fear...I-I can't..."

Starfire leaned her head against Raven's. "Say no more, my dear friend...I completely understand your fear. You are...afraid because you feel vulnerable and not being able to protect yourself, correct?"

Raven nodded. "That too..."

"If you must know, my worst fear are the Gordanians."

"Really?"

"Yes. I fear that they will capture me and take me away from Richard...and do...unmentionables..."

Raven nodded.

"I must've hurt him..." the empath whispered after a while. "Oh Azar, I did...he must hate me now."

"He does not hate you. He is...confused and troubled. Our friend is very worried about you. Robin has assured him that it has to do with your powers."

"He's right...You see what happened in here. I can't meditate without blowing something up. Imagine what would've happened if...if h-he was here instead of you." Raven clutched Starfire's hand.

"You would loose control?"

"Whatever control I had left. Have left."

"Mmm..." They stayed like that for a few more minutes, Starfire gently rocking Raven until things stopped flying around the room. She broke the silence, "Raven?"

"Yes?"

"What are you going to do?"

Raven pondered that for a moment. "I...I'm gonna have to leave."

"Leave?" Starfire's eyes began to water. "L-Leave? B-But-"

"No, no, no." Raven sat up to look Starfire in the eyes. "I'm not leaving the Titans...um...remember that time when you had to go to your home planet? For foreign duties?"

"Yes...?"

"I think I have some...personal duties on my own."

"May I ask when and for how long will be your departure?" Starfire knew Raven, and that's why she didn't ask where.

Raven thought some more, then finally decided. "Tomorrow. A week, two at the most. At least until my powers are under control. And I wouldn't hurt anyone..."

And by anyone, she meant Beast Boy.

"Oh, very well then. You do what is the best for you." Starfire took Raven's hand and squeezed it. "I will miss you, friend."

Raven almost smiled, gently squeezing back.

"What shall I tell Robin and Beast Boy?"

"As...little as possible. I know them. Robin will do a lot of thinking before he figures out where I am, and Beast Boy..." She sighed.

"Well, on lighter subjects..." Starfire smiled. "How was it?"

Raven blushed. "If I hadn't enjoyed it, then would you think I'd be in here?"

Starfire giggled.

**12:30 a.m.**

Raven took deep breaths as she walked onto the roof, bag over her shoulder. She wore a navy hoodie, black jeans, and combat boots. The air was cool with a gentle breeze.

She looked over her shoulder and sighed.

"I'll be back soon, Gar," she whispered. "I hope you don't hate me..."

And with that, she disappeared in dark energy.

* * *

Beast Boy woke up with the feeling that something was off. Not just because Raven didn't want to talk to him or see him. Rolling over on his back, he stretched his arms across the pillows, hand landing on...paper?

One sniff and Beast Boy was up and out of bed with a folded note in his hand; Raven's scent proved that it was from her, along with the fact that her handwriting was easily recognizable, his name written in her perfect cursive penmanship.

With shaky fingers, he opened the note and began to read it. What was this? A letter of rejection?

_Beast Boy,_

_I cannot express how much I am sorry for what happened last night. You're downing yourself; blaming yourself for what happened. I know you. I'd say it's a bad habit of yours._

_The fault is mine. I was emotionally unstable, and I didn't want to hurt you...physically, emotionally, and mentally...Unfortunately, I couldn't keep my powers down, so I got to my room as quickly as I could._

_I am still...not...well enough. I can't meditate without blowing something up. And I'd hate to leave you, Robin, and Starfire on such short notice but...it's for the best. I won't be gone long, one maybe two weeks. I promise. Don't worry about me. Just trust me and know that I'm somewhere safe._

_-Raven_

_P.S. And in case you're wondering...the kiss was...nice..._

The last line made Beast Boy smile a little. At least she liked it. But what did that mean? Did Raven feel the same way he did? She must've felt something if she kissed him back and made lights explode...

After freshening up, he reread her letter over and over as he made his way into the Ops. To his surprise, Robin and Starfire were at the kitchen table, and when they heard him they looked up and held up their notes.

"Guess you guys got ones too, huh?" Beast Boy said as he approached the kitchen table, sitting down across from the duo. "What do yours say?"

"She's gone somewhere to help her control her powers," said Robin.

"And won't return for a week or so," Starfire added innocently. "Friend, what has she told you?"

"Same thing...and not to worry...and, um..." He blushes faintly. "At least she liked the kiss."

"Feel better now?" Robin asked him with a smirk.

Beast Boy shrugged. "Looks like it's just gonna be the three of us for a while."

"Raven will be here before you know it. Come on. Let's make some breakfast."

TT

"I've never seen him so down before," Robin whispered to Starfire as they did the dishes together; Robin washed and Starfire rinsed. The two looked over and saw Beast Boy sitting by the window, looking out towards the city with Raven's note still in his hand. "At least not since Terra."

"It saddens me to see him in such a state." Starfire dried the plates and put them in the dish rack.

Robin eyed her carefully. "Do you know something, Star?"

Starfire hesitated, halting her movements briefly before continuing.

Robin inched closer to her. "Starfire?"

"Yes?"

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Starfire turned her gaze on him. "Of course," she told him softly. Drying her hand she rested the back of her hand on his cheek. "But I only know as much as you do. And even if I did know about Raven's exact whereabouts, I'm afraid I could not tell you because my loyalty remains with her."

"I understand. Raven's lucky to have you as a best friend."

Starfire smiled and kissed his cheek.

Beast Boy left the room, wandering aimlessly around the Tower. Cyborg wasn't there; he was lucky enough to even be with his girl without complications. Robin and Starfire were wrapped up in each other's company. The only one left was...

_Raven.._.

At the mention of her name, he just happened to have stopped at her bedroom door. Did he dare?

Of course he did. He typed the passcode and her door slid open; stepping inside, he took a whiff and looked around. Her room looked...decent. But not as clean as it normally would be. At least her bed was made and...

There, laying in the very center as if taunting him, was a mirror. _The_ mirror.

Beast Boy was conflicted now. He shouldn't even be in here without her permission. Going back into her mind without her knowing would make things even worse-invading her privacy...he just couldn't...

Eh, what's new? He needed company, and answers, and just wanted to see her emoticlones again for old times sake.

"I am so getting my underwear up my ass when she gets back," he told himself as he picked up the mirror and looked into it. He braced himself.

And just like he expected, a black hand swooped out, grabbed him causing the changeling to scream like a girl, and pulled him inside.

* * *

With a thump, Beast Boy landed hard on his stomach.

"Ouch..." he groaned.

"Beast Boy?" said a familiar voice, and he rose his head. A pink clad emoticlone approached him with growing excitement. He got to his feet. "Is that you?"

"Heh, it's been a while-oomf!" Beast Boy gasped as Happy embraced him tight.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Happy squealed, and Beast Boy chuckled. Slowly, Happy pulled back to meet his gaze, hers more serious. "I'm...glad you're here."

"What's going on?" Beast Boy asked her curiously.

Happy held up her hand and cloak, and that's when he noticed the various spots on her cloak; yellow, green, grey, brown, orange...that's when Beast Boy got it. Those colors represented each emoticlone.

"Let's just say that things have changed...I can't explain it, but Wisdom can!"

"What do you know?"

"Well... since you and I...when you kissed us, um, Raven," she stammered, and the hood of her cloak began to slowly turn grey, "I-I've been feeling...emotions as strong as happiness, and next thing you know, my cloak starts to change color," the greying stopped, turning a little yellowish. She sighed. "But thanks to you, my aura has never been pinker!" And her hood began to turn pink again. "Well, I'm still working on it."

Beast Boy smiled at her. "Do you know where the others are? Can you take me to them?"

"Sure!" Happy held out her hand and he took it. The part of her cloak that sheathed her arms began to turn into a lavender purple, and she blushed.

"What?" Beast Boy then noticed. "Oh...this is...?"

"Love," Happy confessed. "This happens whenever I think about you. And lately, I've been having a lot of purple mixed with my pink!"

"So Love is purple? We'll find her domain soon?"

"Mhmm! But first, we run into Timid, then Brave, then Love, then Wisdom, and so on with the other emoticlones."

Holding Happy's hand and talking to her made the pink emoticlone turn back to normal; he found it quite cute at the moments where she'd 'purple out' and blush. By the time they reached the arch that led to Timid, he said, "Sooo, wanna tell me where you-er, Raven-is?"

"Hehe! You're so cute!" Happy tapped his nose. "But it's a secret! Shh! Hehehe! Let's go!"

As soon as they walked through the arch (Happy imitating an airplane and Beast Boy following in amusement), the yellow and pink sky changed to something more grey and gloomy. Beast Boy already began to feel down; maybe it was because of the emoticlones.

"Timiiiiid! Yooohoo!" Happy called. "Beast Boy is here to see us!"

Timid peeped her head out from behind the wall of the maze. When she saw Beast Boy, she gasped and shied away; he saw the edge of her cloak turn purple with a hint of pink.

"Timid!" Happy went to go get her, pulling the shy girl from around the corner. "C'mon, say hello!"

"H-Hello," Timid stammered.

Beast Boy gave her a soft smile. "Hey, Timid. How are you?"

"I..." She blushed, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. More purple.

"Go on, give him a hug. Just like we practiced!" Happy patted Timid on the back.

Tears forming in her eyes, Timid held out her shaky arms and closed her eyes tight. Beast Boy slowly approached the shy emoticlone with a lopsided grin plastered on his face; Timid was almost sobbing as his arms wrapped gently around her. The hug didn't last long because he didn't want to freak her out further

"I'm...sorry..." she said.

"What for?" Beast Boy asked.

"F-For leaving without saying goodbye. You don't have to lie...I know you hate me..."

"I could never hate you." He touched her arm, and that place turned purple as she shied away some. "And I forgive you. It's okay."

Timid eyed him for a moment before she nodded, then turned to face Happy. "S-So..."

"Hehe, c'mon, Rainy Poo!" Happy grasped her hand. "Let's go find Wisdom!"

* * *

Brave wasn't hard to find. In fact, the adventurous emoticlone found THEM; practically requesting a spar until she met Beast Boy's eyes, then her cloak turned grey, purple, and pink.

"Oh," Brave had said, trying to act cool. "Sup, BB? Here for a little one-on-one?"

"Maybe another time. But trust me. It is so. On," Beast Boy said with a wink, and she smiled.

The four ventured on, stepping through the next arch. This one had dark and light blue skies, with a field of blue and purple flowers.

Love approached them, pulling her hood down, with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She smiled at her fellow emoticlones. "Hey." Her voice had a dazed tone in it.

"Hey hey hey!"

"H-Hi..."

"Sup."

Love gasped. "Garfield!" Her hood turned pink as she flung her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Bewildered, Beast Boy hugged her back. "I'm so glad we've finally met in person!"

"Um, yeah. Nice to meet ya!" Beast Boy said, and Love pulled back to look at him, cupping his face.

"Came here to visit me?" she asked him with a giggle, seeing his pink ears.

"As much as I'd love to, we're on our way to see Wisdom."

Love dropped her hands. "Poo. Ah well. I love Wisdom! She's so smart..." She sighed, then kissed his cheek. "Let's go!"

Wisdom's domain consisted of a sunset, and a library. Wisdom herself was leaning up against a bookshelf, reading. As they approached she looked up, sending a soft smile in Beast Boy's direction; a spot of her cloak turned purple and pink.

"May I help you?" she said, straightening her glasses.

"Yeeeeah, well I got bored so I went in Raven's room..." Beast Boy began, feeling Love cuddle into his side as he spoke, "Found the mirror and-"

"That wasn't very wise..." Wisdom arched an eyebrow.

"I ended up here, and everyone's telling me that their cloaks are changing color. What's going on?"

Wisdom closed her book. "If you must, what's basically happening is that Raven is having emotional imbalance."

"...Go on..."

"It means that her outer self is having complications with her inner self. Her state of being is...off."

"...Go on..."

"Which means that she needs to clear her mind and have some time away from those who endanger her well being."

"..."

"..."

"...Go on..."

Wisdom rolled her eyes, resembling the Raven he knew and loved. And it scared him that her voice dropped to a monotone, "Raven needs to be alone before you make her blow stuff up, or Tower go bye-bye."

Beast Boy facepalmed himself. "OOOOOOOHH!"

Brave sighed, patting Beast Boy's back before acknowledging the yellow emoticlone. "Dude, you gotta stop talking in third person. It's kinda creepy!"

* * *

**And that's the end of this chappie! Don't worry, Raven won't be gone for long. In fact, depending on how the next chapter flows, she might appear IN the next chapter!**

**Slight spoiler! We get some more RobStar cuteness as they play cupid, some BBRae (maybe a confession or two? ;D) And who doesn't like a defensive Beast Boy? xP**

**Review!**


	21. His Surprise

**Heyo! I'm back with another chappie! I decided to add a few Titans East scenes so we can see what Cyborg and them are up to!**

**Hope ya'll like :)**

* * *

Beast Boy grunted, lifting himself up, using one hand; this was more of a challenge than the regular pull ups he did. His feet grazed the ground, beads of sweat dewed on his forehead and chest.

It had been 11 days. 11 long days since the Nevermore trip, 11 long days without Raven. It's been pretty rough. He could tell Robin and Starfire were trying; he really appreciated that. Robin played video games with him, invited the changeling to work out or to spar; Beast Boy even became a big help in the Evidence Room, helping the teen wonder skim through files and criminal records on Red X and Adonis. And on top of that, the two males started working on his B-Bike; that was the highlight of Beast Boy's week; he felt older, wiser, and totally hunkier.

Starfire had been taking the role of "the earthly housewife". Thanks to Robin, she refrained from feeding her boys Tamaranian dishes, but settled for the foods she and Robin liked, as well as plenty of vegetables and fancy tofu for Beast Boy.

"Thanks, Starfire," Beast Boy said, wiping his mouth and got up to put his plate up. "You're really getting better at this! Maybe when Cyborg comes back, you guys can have a cook off!"

"I am not sure about that," Starfire said with a giggle.

"You'd totes beat 'em if you made a Tamaranian dish." Beast Boy gave them a grin as he exited the room. "Once you find something vegetarian, I'm in!"

The Ops doors slid open then closed, and the remaining two exchanged glances.

"He is still..." Starfire murmured with a sigh.

"I know." Robin's blue eyes caught her cell phone sitting next to her hand, both of her hands of which were on the counter, as it buzzed. Starfire checked who the text was from, then picking it up, she answered the text quickly before setting it back down. All the Titans had cell phones, but only used them around casual times, otherwise they'd use their communicators.

"Who was that?" he asked.

Starfire looked at anywhere but him. "Oh that? Um...it was no one?"

Robin was unconvinced. "I see."

Silence.

With quick reflexes, Robin was up and out of his seat with Starfire's phone in his hands, scrolling through her most recent messages.

"No!" Starfire flew across the room, knocking into him, sending them both down to the floor.

"Wah!" Robin exclaimed, cell phone tumbling out of his grip. With him lying on his stomach and Starfire on top of him, she obviously had the upper hand. But that didn't stop him from trying. He used his left hand, reaching back to grip her upper thigh, causing her to yelp; his right hand finally reached her cell and-"Oomf!" Once again he was pressed into the hardwood floor, being squished as his girlfriend kept him down. He managed to turn around abruptly, arms searching hungrily for hers, which danced out of his grip. On his back, he rested his head on the floor, finding himself at cell phone point.

That's right. Starfire was straddling him, hips hovering over his, holding her phone pointedly at him as if she was holding a gun. Then, she lifted it up to her lips and blew.

"I win," she said.

"I let you win that one."

Starfire giggled. "I believe you said that the previous time, did you not?"

Robin grumbled something unintelligent as she stuffed her phone in her back pocket; he pouted, sticking out his lower lip. Starfire smiled down at him, leaning down and kissing him on the lips. This brought out a little smile.

"Better?" she asked.

He replied sheepishly, "A little bit. How about a little bit more?" He leaned up and she met him halfway, lips meeting longingly. By the time he was sitting up, her arms twined around his neck, and his hands explored her backside. He let her dominate, let her take control, and he went with it. She pushed him back down, adjusting herself and sitting down completely on his lap, the friction of their pants rubbing together becoming torture. Robin let his hands roam down her back, admiring her curves, and even lower until he was cupping her _grebnacks_. She gasped arching her back and let him continue.

He smirked against her, gently squeezing before he let his hand wander up and over until-Ha!

Starfire gasped, pulling back to see the Batman protege waving her cell phone tauntingly with a cheeky grin. She sighed in defeat. "That was...sneaky."

"Don't hate the player, hate the game, sweetheart." Robin kissed her cheek, bringing himself into a sitting position yet again, and wrapped an arm around her. "May I?" He held up her phone.

"Might as well..." Starfire tapped her index fingers together, not looking at him as he read thoroughly through her previous conversations. She recalled having conversations with friends Jericho, Kole, Bumble Bee, Kid Flash, and a couple others.

But...it wasn't _them_ she was worried about.

"You've been talking to Raven?" Robin said at last.

Starfire bit her lip, flying to her feet. "Please don't be angry with me!"

Robin got to his feet too. "How long..?"

"For the past 24 hours." She turned her back to him. "She will be returning soon, two days from now to be exact. A-And I had been thinking of doing a little surprise for Beast Boy." She placed her hand on her forehead, looking over at him.

"I'm not angry," he told her, stepping closer to her. "Don't feel guilty."

"I am the guilty. I did not inform you."

"Need to know, remember?" Robin gave her phone back. "Lemme guess. Raven told you not to tell anyone anything, because she knew I'd end up figuring it out, and Beast Boy would drive himself crazy?"

Starfire gasped. "How did you know?"

Robin shrugged. "She's one of my teammates, Star. I know her well enough to decipher the hints when I see them." He stepped closer to her with a sly grin. "Now about this _surprise_ of yours..."

* * *

"Knock knock!" Cyborg said as he knocked and opened the door to Bumble Bee's room. Bumble Bee paused her typing, looking up from where she sat at her stylish desk, which was very abstract and futuristic looking; she smiled at him.

"Hey."

"Hey." He returned the smile.

"Come on in."

Cyborg stepped inside, the door sliding closed behind him. "Mind if I get comfy?"

"Knock yourself out."

He took out his hologram rings and put them on, pressing his fists together. And just like that, his robotic body was replaced with a human one, and he wore a grey muscle tee and navy boxers. He sat down on her bed. "How do you think Jade's doing?"

"Baby steps, Vic. Baby steps." She closed her laptop and got up, crossing the small space towards him.

"And you?" As her hips got in his reach, he took a hold of them as she climbed into his lap, arms wrapping around his neck.

"You keep asking me that, and you're gonna get the same answer every time," she pointed out.

"It's 'cause I care, Kare," he said and kissed her smiling mouth.

"And for the thousandth time, I am fine with Speedy leading, and I'm fine without Mas and Menos. Sure, I miss them like hell, but...I guess it's better that you're here with me to support me." She pushed him down on his back before laying down, resting her palm and cheek on his broad chest.

"Anything for you, Bee." He ran his fingers down her spine.

"I wished you lived here. At the Tower. You know...with me."

"Sometimes I wish that too. But..."

"They're your family."

"Yeah."

"So...how many more days are you stayin'?"

Cyborg grinned. "Rushin' me out already?"

Bee rolled her eyes.

He laughed. "I'll be here as long as I'm wanted around."

She raised her head, pressing her lips against his jawline. "You got my vote, Sparky."

TT

Terra made herself comfortable on the couch. The blonde often visited Titans East and slumbered over there on weekends; and this was one of those weekends. One of the many benefits is that she got to see Aqualad.

Speaking of, the latter emerged from the water with a gasp, catching her attention. A major difference between the Titans West Ops and the Titans East Ops is that the Titans East have a built in waterway, an easy escape route to the ocean.

Terra smiled, abandoning her snacks and made her way over to him. She leaned over the railing, "Had a nice swim?"

Aqualad gave her the lopsided grin she grew to love. He loved the water, the ocean. Not only because of his heritage, but he felt so much freer than he did on land. Of course, that was before he met Terra-the girl of the earth. The earth, dirt, soil, and all, was her strength, as well as her weakness. She went from a girl lost in her own world, afraid of her powers, to a Titan, to a two-sided apprentice, to an enemy, to a sacrifice, and now to a girl who regained her powers and has limited memories that grow inch by inch every day

"Definitely," he said. "Next time, you should come with me."

"In case you couldn't tell, not all of us can breathe underwater for hours on end, Aqualad."

His smile widened as he winked at her. "There are plenty of things to do in water besides breathing under it."

Terra rolled her eyes but giggled, taking a step back as he hopped up and out. She noticed that he was only wearing black and blue swim trunks, leaving his half naked glory in her now perfect vision. He shook his hair out.

"How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Only an hour. Everyone's scattered around the Tower, so I just decided to chill by myself..."

"Until I got back?"

Terra blushed, smiled, and nodded.

"Sorry I kept you waiting. If I would've known, I would've been here quicker."

"It's okay."

"Give me a sec to change. I'll be right back." Aqualad broke into a brisk jog, going faster when the Ops doors closed behind him. He didn't want to keep Terra waiting any longer.

Did Aqualad like Terra? Like, like her like her?

...Yeah, pretty much.

Bursting into his room, he looked around before sprinting to his dresser, looking through the drawers. He found a plain but fitting white tank top, black jeans, and matching sneakers; brushing his hair so it can dry straight, he headed back to the Ops more calmly.

Terra was in the kitchen, her back to him as he entered; his eyes gave her a once-over. She bore a long sleeved, soft pink tee, white shorts, and flip flops. This was the first time he'd seen her wear the girly color.

"Hey," he said, and she turned around. "What'cha doin'?"

"I found this radio," Terra said, turning around; she pressed the On button, and a familiar slow tune played. "Hey...I remember this song! This is the song we-"

"-Danced to at the ball," Aqualad finished in recognition. "When we met..." He noticed her shuffle awkwardly. "What?"

"I don't know...it's just I was thinking about-"

"When we danced together?" When she nodded, he held out his hand. "You know, history tends to repeat itself. May I have this dance?"

Terra smiled softly at him. "Of course." She took his hand and he pulled her close.

TT

"Sweet and sour sauce?" Speedy asked.

Jade nodded, taking a packet. "Thanks."

The two were lounging on the roof, bonding with Chinese food. It was a beautiful night out.

"Thank you, Roy..." she said after some peaceful silence.

"For what?" he replied, confused.

"For everything. For giving me a second chance, for giving me a home, for being my friend still...after all that I've done..."

Speedy sighed, putting his empty container down.

"Why did you?"

"Because you were different," he told her. "When I met you, I knew we connected on some level. And I guess I couldn't let go of that connection."

"That must've been a tough decision for you."

"It was. You don't know how hard it is to choose between the right thing to do, and what you want to do. In my mind, the right thing to do was to turn you in. But in my heart, the right thing to do was to help you in any way I could."

Jade smiled, hugging her knees. "I'm glad you listened to your heart then."

Speedy smiled back at her. "Me too."

Their gazes lingered, and Speedy was the first to look away; they both, however, began blushing.

"Speedy?"

"Yeah?"

"Um..." Jade ran her fingers nervously through her hair. "How...do you feel about me?"

It took a bit, but the ginger eventually answered, "Kiss me or kill me. Which will it be, Chesh?" He smirked.

Jade's eyebrow arched, and she started to grin. Challenge accepted.

And then she tackled him. She didn't expect him to win their short wrestling match, hovering over her with a smug look. She also didn't expect for him to cradle the side of her face, gaze becoming softer.

Jade reached up, cupping his cheeks; he tilted his head, relaxing into her touch. Their eyes locked until she brought his face to hers, and lips were finally against lips.

* * *

"Again, _why_ are you doing this?" Beast Boy demanded. He was wondering why he and the teen wonder were dressed up; Robin made Beast Boy wear a silky, royal blue dress shirt, a navy blue/white/light blue striped tie, black skinny jeans (after 15 minutes of arguing with Robin in exchange for some slacks), and black shoes.

Beast Boy thought Robin was "Batmaning Out", because he was rocking all black and looked so sharp, Beast Boy was jealous; black suit, black dress shirt, black striped tie, black slacks, and shiny black shoes.

"Maybe because I wanna do something nice for a change, don't question it."

Okay. That sounded like Robin.

"So...tonight it's just us dudes going out to a fancy dinner? How bromantic! Robin, you shouldn't have! I should've gotten you a corsage."

Robin gave Beast Boy a look but cracked an amused smile. "For your information, there's nothing wrong with going to dinner. Bruce and I used to every once in a while, way back when."

Beast Boy's suspicions were heightened when the waitress led them to their table; it was circular and had a candle in the middle, as well as two chairs on each side.

Translation: A table for _4_.

Beast Boy arched an eyebrow.

"Uh..." Robin said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Dude, what is going on?" Beast Boy demanded.

A moment of silence.

"Okay okay, I confess..." Robin held up his hands in defeat. "You've been looking pretty down lately, so I wanted to make it up to you. I _may_ have requested that two lovely ladies from the city to join us tonight."

"One of them _better_ be Starfire!"

"Oh yes. The other one's your date."

"Date? _Date_? YOU SET ME UP ON A BLIND DATE?" Beast Boy flailed his arms around wildly. "That is the MOST-" He turned around as the door opened, two young women walking inside; the taller, tanner one lingered behind, wearing a fitted chocolate brown dress with a sweetheart bust-the hem stopping a little above her knees- and matching strappy stilletos, her hair in a curly ponytail. The shorter, paler one looked around until her purple eyes settled on him. She wore a body hugging, black halter dress, the hem stopping an inch above her knees, and black pumps; her hair was in loose waves, cascading down her back. Automatically, Beast Boy rounded back on Robin and clutched the front of the teen wonder's shirt, "-_wonderful thing you have ever done for me_."

Robin smirked, and Beast Boy turned back around, wide-eyed.

"R-Raven?" Beast Boy stammered in disbelief, a smile rapidly spreading across his face. A true smile in a long time.

"Hey, Beast Boy." She gave him a little smile of her own.

"RAVEN!" Beast Boy-restraining himself from running-walked as fast as he could, closing the space between them. Raven barely took two steps forward when he legit knocked her off her feet and hugged her tight. He inhaled her sweet scent, swinging them back and forth. She clutched at his back, returning his embrace. It almost felt like an eternity passed before they released each other. He looked over her hungrily, afraid that she might disappear and he'd wake up from this wonderful dream.

"I'm so happy to see you!" He admitted bashfully, blushing. "How are you? Are you okay with, well, you know...?"

Raven smiled softly. "I'm fine. Everything's fine."

"Where did you go? What happened?"

Raven looked over his shoulder. "Why don't we eat first? Robin and Starfire are beginning to look...impatient."

Beast Boy looked over his shoulder to see quite the opposite. Starfire was beaming, and Robin was very smug beside her.

"You guys planned this?" He asked them brightly, pulling Raven along with him-he didn't want to be separated from her-and they approached the table.

"Yes!" Starfire squealed as Robin and Raven exchanged hugs of their own.

"You too, Robin?"

Robin crossed his arms. "Yeah. You're welcome."

* * *

**Daaaawww :') What a sweet chapter! What did you guys think? :)**


	22. Malchior

**Hey guys!**

**OMG I KNOW SOME OF YOU WILL HATE ME FOR THIS BUT LET ME JUST SAY THAT I LOVED THE PILOT EPISODE OF TEEN TITANS GO! THE ROBSTAR, THE BBRAE, THE PATRICK! (xP)**

**They're so cute ^.^**

* * *

"I was in Azarath." Raven set her glass down after taking a sip. "Living briefly with my mother made me realize how much I really missed her and longed for her companionship."**  
**

"So _that's_ where you were!" Beast Boy said.

"Your home world!" Starfire gasped.

"Knew it..." Robin muttered, and Raven rolled her eyes at him.

The teen wonder had picked a hot spot. Everyone there dressed like a million bucks, and the majority of them were on dates. In the middle of the restaurant was a wide, circular space where couples slow danced and mingled.

"It actually...surprised me that my mother welcomed me with open arms." Raven rubbed her arms.

"Why wouldn't she? She's your mother," Beast Boy told her.

"And I've told you before...our relationship got...complicated." And he nodded.

_Listen To Your Heart _by DHT came on.

"Oh, I have heard of this song!" said Starfire.

Robin softly smiled and stood, then held out his hand. "Then would you care to dance?"

Starfire, awed, blushed faintly and took his outstretched hand. He led her out towards the dance floor, then turned to face her; he gave her a wider smile as he inched closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Returning the smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Did you pull me away to once again give our friends some alone time?" she asked as they swayed.

"Maybe," Robin replied. "Or I just wanted to spend some time with you instead."

Starfire giggled, nuzzling his nose with hers. "I'm glad you did."

Their fingers then laced together, his free hand cupped around her hip, hers falling on his shoulder.

"Richard, I believe you have gotten the taller."

He softly chuckled. "Nah, you're getting shorter."

She smiled, letting out a breathless laugh. "I have been anticipating this. Nightwing from the future is...tall. And you are...almost there."

"...Does it bother you that I don't see the difference?"

Starfire giggled again, "I'd say you have grown another earthly inch."

"Someone sure is paying attention."

She playfully smacked his chest.

A sharp intake of breath, "Ouch..."

"Oh my apologies! I did not mean-!"

"It's okay. You're fine."

She buried her face in the side of his neck. "I am the ruiner of moods..."

"No you're not..."

She closed her eyes, melting against him as his hand gently massaged the small of her back. His fingertips were mesmerized by the fabric.

"I really like this dress on you. Is it new?" He asked curiously.

She nodded. "Yes. I had a bit of trouble choosing between this one and the black one that I had purchased as well."

He began to picture her in black and liked what he saw. "Will I get to see the black dress sometime?"

"Oh yes."

Robin looked up at the ceiling, silently thanking the heavens.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy was about to ask Raven if she wanted to dance, but someone already beat him to it; he was tall, pale, and everything about him was dark. From his suit to his shoes, to his long black hair and eyes that were so black they were blue. He was handsome, but there was something...off. Something that made the Beast growl softly in warning. When the dark young man spoke, he had a slight accent, but it was very attractive.

"Excuse me, miss," he had said smoothly, "would you like to dance with me?" He held out his hand with a crooked smile.

"Um..." Raven's eyes met Beast Boy's, and she already felt his emotions. But she could take care of herself. "Sure." She took the boy's hand and stood, and he led them out to the dance floor; Beast Boy glowered after them.

The mysterious teen pulled Raven close, making her feel uneasy and nervous as he gripped her hip and held her other hand.

"He's not your date is he?" he asked her with a little smile. "I hope I haven't caused a disturbance."

"Um...no, not technically..." Raven said, being able to see Beast Boy over the guy's shoulder; the changeling had heard. And he was listening. "He'll be okay without me for a few minutes."

The guy chuckled darkly. "Good." And his grip tightened around her, yanking her to him, their bodies touching from point A to point B. Raven gasped and was about to hurt him when his lips were at her ear, his accent even thicker than before. "That's a relief, love. I was afraid I was going to have to cause a scene just for some time to talk to you again..."

Raven gasped sharply, stiffening as her heartbeat took off. "_Malchior_!"

"Shh, now now, my dear. We wouldn't want your friends to hear, now do we?" Malchior's claws threatened to extend, and Raven felt them prickling her back. A threat. Her purple eyes searched for Beast Boy, who was now gone from sight, and she began to panic. "I have the whole place surrounded in case you try to pull anything over."

"Surrounded? Who's working for you?" Raven questioned him; although calm on the surface, she felt like crying and screaming Beast Boy's name. Her emoticlones were in a frenzy.

Malchior softly chuckled. "It is not who works for I, but I who works for thee."

Raven tried to figure out what that meant. So he was _working _for somebody. But who?

She was visibly uncomfortable, and it grew as he stepped back to twirl her and bring her back in. Something only Beast Boy could do that made her smile.

And Raven did not smile.

Purposely, she wrapped her arms around Malchior's neck, and rested her chin on his shoulder; her eyes searched hungrily around the room. Robin and Starfire were oblivious, as were the other dancers and customers. Where could Beast Boy be? He had promised her...

During their awkward sway, Malchior making them look like a smooth, dark couple, she finally found him. _Him. _Standing in the corner with his arms crossed, watching Malchior's every move; his eyed narrowed as Malchior's hand slipped further down her back, nostrils beginning to flare.

"Where's Rorek?" She asked.

Malchior grinned. "Worried about brother dear?"

"You two were brothers?"

"Of course. He was the good one, the better one, the smart one..." Malchior rolled his eyes. "The goody goody. Made me sick..."

"Oh. So you're the bad brother." How stereotypical.

"So they say." He dipped her, "You like bad boys?" Raven didn't answer right away. "Every female that ever walked on God's green Earth has fancied a bad boy. And it's always the good girls first," he brought her back up, "like your friend over there." He jerked his head over in Robin and Starfire's direction.

"Robin is not a bad boy."

"You on the other hand...you're just drawn to the...supernatural." Malchior ignored her comment and continued as if she hadn't spoken at all. "Or perhaps...that was what you fancied the last time I saw you. Now you've blossomed into the darkest beauty..." He pulled back to touch her face, and he felt her flinch. "Now, you seem to fall for one's idiocy..."

And then green eyes met purple once more; his held jealousy, suspicion, and most of all, curiosity. Not knowing what to do.

Malchior pulled her closer once more-he must really can't get enough of this point A to point B thing-and sighed, leaning his cheek against the side of her face.

Raven took this opportunity.

"Gar..." she breathed, so quiet that it was almost inaudible; she knew that Malchior was a dragon, so he had sensitive hearing too. She hoped she could pull it off... "Gar, can you hear me?" Beast Boy heard her; he was being inconspicuous, arms crossed casually and now looking the other way, but his ear perked up. "It's_ him._"

As soon as the last words left her lips, he was gone again.

"Raven, you look ravishing tonight..." Malchior complimented, and Raven didn't reply. "Oh, don't be so bitter. It is quite a shame, you do realize, that emotionless game you're trying to pull off?" He leaned in closer to her face and hissed, "I think we both know that you _fear_ me. _That's_ what drives us together. _Fear!" _His eyes began to change color, his irises now a devilish, bloody red, and his black pupils were now slits. "Daddy's little girl thinks she's invincible, when she's really a _coward," _he spat, and her eyes widened-pure fear was etched across her face, and her legs shook against his as she tried to stare him down. "I won't stop, Raven. I won't stop _hunting you down_ until you drive yourself into madness and finally lose control. I'll be there the day you loose yourself, and you'll hurt the ones you love. I bet that green one will affect you the most because of your pathetic little feelings for him. That's why you left, right? To protect him?"

Raven's eyes were about to fall from their sockets. "H-How-?"

"Sweetheart, I know everything. You just wait until your world falls apart. Then you'll be begging me to help you."

Raven shook her head. "Never."

"You are so stubborn. Do you honestly believe that _he _cares for you?"

Someone tapped on Malchior's shoulder. "I believe he does, more than you need to know."

Malchior turned around, releasing Raven, much to her relief. "What're you doing here, dog? The lady and I were just getting started," he spat with venom.

"And I'm finishing it," Beast Boy shot back in a growl, shoving past Malchior to be at Raven's side. He felt her fingers grip his sleeve. "Stay away from her. In fact, do us all a favor and get the hell out of here."

Malchior observed; Beast Boy looking ready to phase any minute, Raven almost hiding behind him, and now the masked one and his alien girlfriend were staring in their direction. Malchior was at ease, spreading his arms out as he bowed. "Very well." He straightened his posture. "We'll meet again, Raven."

Raven shuddered, and Malchior legit disappeared in the darkness.

Beast Boy turned around to face her and they embraced; he wrinkled his nose, smelling Malchior's scent on her in all the wrong places. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Give me a minute..." she begged, her face buried in his shoulder as she held him and tried to maintain her breathing. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

He shook his head against her hair. "I want to kill him."

"I'm not stopping you."

He shook his head again. "You don't understand...I want to go out there and rip his head from his-" he stopped short, unable to finish, and she finally pulled back.

Raven wrapped her arms around his neck, and his followed suite around her waist, and they began to sway. "I understand more than you know."

Beast Boy leaned his forehead against hers, but their eyes didn't meet; for their eyelids were closed as they concentrated on controlling their inner demons.

"You're safe now, Rae," he whispered after a couple of minutes.

"I know," she whispered back, opening her eyes, "You're my safe haven."

Beast Boy opened his eyes, pulling his head back so he could smile at her; the true smile she was looking for.

"Whaddaya say we get outta here?" he said.

"Right now?" she asked.

He nodded. "We can head back to the Tower."

"Just us?"

"Just us."

Raven bit her lip and Beast Boy was afraid that she'd say no. Instead, she smiled a little and said, "Okay."

She waited for him, standing outside the restaurant while he "handled some business"; her eyes were closed, like he had told her to.

And then she heard a motor engine, causing her eyes to fly open and she turned around; Beast Boy rolled in on his B-Bike, which was white and purple to match his suit, and her mouth dropped. "You..."

"Like?" Beast Boy hoped, offering her a purple helmet.

"Love." Raven put her helmet on, then climbed on the motorbike behind him. "When did you...?" She wrapped her arms around his midsection, making him blush.

"A guy gets bored when his best friend is gone," he told her sheepishly, starting his motorbike up again.

"Are you talking about me or Cyborg?"

"...A little bit of both," he admitted.

She nodded. Either way was fine with her. Wrapping his arms around his torso, she smiled at his pink ears before they were off towards home.

And he didn't protest when she held him tighter.

::.::

At the Tower, Raven sighed as she pulled her cloak around herself, sealing it shut and firmly. She felt better, and more safer, in her costume; she hadn't worn it since she left.

Thinking she could use a certain someone's company, she decided to go to Beast Boy's room for a change instead of it always being the other way around. Pulling her hood down, she knocked on his door three times.

No answer.

"Beast Boy?" she knocked again. No answer. "Beast Boy, are you in there?" Still nothing. "I'm coming in."

With her powers, she slid his door open and stepped inside, anxiety already rising in panic. But to her relief, and chagrin, she head the shower running. _I shouldn't stay..._she thought, but found herself walking around his bedroom anyway.

She wouldn't have stayed if his room wasn't clean-and it was. Almost...spotless, besides a pair of sneakers lying around here, a ditched comic book there...His bed-an actual normal bed-suited him and his room, providing more space and not looking as cramped.

Raven didn't dare go in his closet.

Something light hit the floor, sounding like paper, and she turned around. Laying a foot away from his bedside table was a photostrip, and it was face down. Walking over, she reached down and picked it up, turning the photostrip over. And she almost smiled.

The set of photos were of them, just Beast Boy and Raven, on his sixteenth birthday; he had convinced her to go in the photobooth with him after taking pictures with everyone else. And she reluctantly agreed.

Raven returned the photostrip back into the picture frame on the bedside table; well she started to, but then she paused and put the photostrip down beside the picture frame, replacing the photostrip with it as she picked the frame up. She held it delicately in her hands and stared.

In the picture were three people, walking through what looked like a jungle, and wearing the proper attire for it. On the left was a tall, good looking blonde man with green eyes; on the right was a beautiful brunette woman with blue eyes, looking amused; and, what Raven presumed was the cause of her amusement, was the adorable blonde hair and green eyed boy hanging from his father's muscular arm as if it was a monkey bar, a wide and toothy grin spread across his face.

The bathroom door opened, and Beast Boy stepped out, causing her to look up. "Hey-..." she started to say, eyes traveling over him. He wore the bottoms and boots to his suit, but his top half was bare, and his hair was wet.

"Hey." Beast Boy gave her a lopsided grin, putting on his suit top. Then, he took out his white towel and rapidly rubbed his hair with it.

"Are these your...parents?" Raven asked hesitantly as he finished up.

He nodded. "Yeah..."

"And...this is you?" She pointed to the boy in the picture.

"Uh huh." He had a dazed look in his eyes as he thought back, but snapped out of it as she put the frame down and fitted the photostrip in the corner. "So, uh...wassap, Rae?"

Raven played with her fingers, avoiding his gaze every now and then.

"I...heard what Malchior said," Beast Boy admitted, and Raven's head snapped up. "Is it true? That you left because of me?"

"Please don't take it the wrong way!" Raven blurted out, Timid leaking through her voice. She took a deep breath to calm herself then continued, "Look...I only left, not just for that reason, but I needed some answers first..._If_ I can do the one thing that I was told that I couldn't do, that I had accepted."

"Which was...?"

Raven bit her lip.

"Raven-?"

"Please," Raven held up her hand, pausing him midstep, "don't move. There's...something I wanna try..."

The changeling was absolutely frozen as the empath slowly crossed the room towards him.

* * *

**It's been a while since I left a cliffhanger, and a good one at that ;D Don't hate me too much! This was a good chapter, yes? No? Lemme know by reviewing!**


	23. Tensions Rise

**Hey everyone :)**

**Okay guys: this is where it's my job to have ya'll at the edge of your seats! So, grab some popcorn and soda and get yourselves comfy!**

**'Cause things are about to get ugly. _Real_ ugly.**

* * *

Raven was testing herself. Taking step, after step, after shaky step until she reached him. Her eyes gazed deeply into his, irises shifting back and forth between each green orb. She hoped he would do what she asked, otherwise it would make things harder on her part.

Her hands drifted up to his face, coming even closer to him. His gaze became lidded under her touch. He still didn't move. She knew it was killing him not to. Her fingers lingered, pausing her movements as she got sidetracked; _Focus, Raven, focus..._

She then pushed herself up on her tiptoes until she was just about his height; his breath hitched in his throat, and when her nose brushed against his, he closed his eyes, fingers twitching slightly. Tilting her head, she leaned in some more and closed her own eyes before hesitantly pressing her lips against his.

Then she pulled back, eyes drifting to the side as she expected something, anything to explode or crack.

Nothing happened.

She met his gaze again. "Okay...so we're on the right track..."

"What do you want me to do now?" Beast Boy asked, his voice almost hoarse.

She pondered that. "Kiss me." And she leaned in again, hands sliding down to his arms.

He met her halfway, locking their lips together, hands grazing her hips. He kissed her as long as she kissed him the moment before then pulled back, checking her face and body language for a lapse in control. There was none. "Still okay?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Beast Boy bit his lip, asking her timidly while blushing, "...Can I...kiss you again?"

She smiled a little, blushing lightly too while nodding her head.

And he did, causing her head to move with his. He held her a little tighter, and her grip tightened around his arms in enthusiasm. Her lips were so soft and full, supple and addicting. Her scent was finally all her, with no trace of Malchior. He was was happier than he had been an hour ago. The Beast was satisfied. For now.

His hands caressed their way down her arms, palms cupping her elbows; her hands returned to his face briefly before moving further into his hair, bring the two closer. Uneven breathing turned to hitched pants on her part and heavier on his part. He felt her sigh against his mouth, and he pulled away; a pout was threatening to spill over Raven as she gave him a questionable look.

"I have to ask you something," he told her. "Well, a few things actually."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh no! No...trust me. For once in my life, everything's right, aside from the complications." He took her hands in his. "I just need to hear ya say it..."

Raven stared at him.

"Do you like me? I mean, like more than a friend?"

Raven shook her head. "A lot more."

Beast Boy smiled. "Sweet. Okay, so...don't kill me when I ask you the next question...Er...Hypothetically-"

"Uh huh."

"-Would you be mad at me if I told you that I went in your room while you were gone and visited Nevermore without your consent?" He finished quickly as her eyes started to widen and narrow, and he winced and waited for the pain.

"You...did..._what._"

"I-I!-Please don't hate me!"

"Beast Boy-"

"Please don't send me to a dark dimension! I'm scared of dark things!-W-Well, I like you, but that's different but-!"

"_Gar_," Raven gripped his arm, and he stopped. "I'm not...mad, okay?" She stepped closer to him, "You saved me from my worst fear tonight. And after what we did not two minutes ago, I don't have room for anger right now."

"...Really?"

"Well, I'm a little _irritated_ but..."

"That's all the time."

"Yeah."

Beast Boy nodded.

"Anything else...?"

"Oh yeah, right!" He cleared his throat. "Raven...will you...be my girlfriend?" He asked nervously. When she didn't answer right way he continued, "I'll understand if you're not ready yet...I can wait..."

"No, no," Raven interjected, faintly blushing. "I-I want to."

"Really?" Beast Boy's eyes brightened.

Raven nodded, and Beast Boy beamed; he picked her up and swung her around in his arms, making her giggle as she clung to him. He then set her down, their faces inches apart now. He smoothed his hands down the sides of her face, fingers curving over in her hair as he leaned in for another kiss, and she welcomed him, closing her eyes and relaxing in this moment...-

Until their communicators went off. Beast Boy groaned, and even Raven looked a little disappointed.

Moment over.

Raven took out her comm and answered it, "What is it, Robin?"

_"Trouble!" _Robin dodged what looked like a beam coming from a beam gun. "We_ need backup. Sladebots everywhere! Get my coordinates and get here fast! Robin out!_" The transmission cut off and Raven got a lock on Robin's coordinates.

"I've never seen him look so frantic," Raven noted.

"I would be too if Sladebots were shooting at me," said Beast Boy, pulling Raven along. "C'mon, Rae! We gotta get outta here!"

As Raven clambered on the back of the B-Bike and held on to Beast Boy, she couldn't help but think about what Malchior had said.

_ "I have the whole place surrounded in case you try to pull anything over._"

* * *

"UGH!" Jinx stormed out of Kid Flash's bedroom, clad in her pajamas-a camisole and plaid pajama pants.

"What did I do _now_?!" Wally snapped, coming out of the room in just a pair of red sweats.

"Now? _Now_?! How 'bout we go back to the past _month?!"_

_"Month?"_

"Yes!"

"Okay!" Wally said sarcastically, leaning against the kitchen counter. "_Enlighten_ me then, Jinx. What have I done to _piss you off_ so bad?"

"Everything! You're so childish and annoying! I'd like a day without you _breathing_ down my _neck_!"

_"Excuse_ me? Not five minutes ago were you _shoving_ _your_ tongue down _my_ throat!"

Jinx fumed, "That's _not_ what I meant!" She grabbed her peacoat and put it on. "I'm _tired_ of you being immature, I'm _tired_ of you coming home late, and I'm _tired_ of you flirting shamelessly with sluts and whores right in my _face_! Do you have any idea how that makes me _feel_?!"

"_That's_ what you're fretting about?!" Wally shot back.

"Jenna, Ashley, Britney, 'The Twins', Amber, Natasha," Jinx ticked the names angrily off her fingers. "Shall I name the rest of these females in your contact list?"

Wally turned red in the face. "_You went. Through. My. Phone_?"

"You gave me a reason to," Jinx snarled.

"Oh my God, Jinx, you are such a _bitch!_" Wally's teeth gritted together, voice leaking with venom. "You never trusted me then, and apparently you don't trust me now! Those girls are girls I grew up with! They're just. _Friends_."

Jinx's eyes glowed pink, sending a pink hexbolt in his direction, which he dodged in a flash. "I bet they are good friends, Wally. Do tell me, how many have you fucked, or thought about sleeping with?"

Wally's nostrils flared. "I'm starting to get sick of you and your _bullshit_!"

"YOU? I'M ALREADY TIRED!"

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? YOU WANT ME TO FUCK ANOTHER GIRL AFTER I'VE BEEN FAITHFUL TO YOU FOR TWO YEARS?! YOU WANT ME TO SCREW THAT UP? FINE! MAYBE I WILL! THE FIRST ATTRACTIVE GIRL I FIND ON THE STREET,_ I WILL HIT_. AND SHE WILL BE BETTER THAN YOU EVER WERE! IN FACT, I HOPE SHE'S GOT TITS AND ASS, SOMETHING YOU OBVIOUSLY _LACK_, YOU EMO FUGLY _FREAK_!"

Jinx's breath hitched in her throat, feeling tears rimming over her eyelids. Before she knew it, she was across the room and slapping him hard across his face, making his head swing back. Wally placed his hand over his cheek, jaw clenching and unclenching; God, Jinx was so lucky she was a _girl_...

"I hope you enjoy her," Jinx's voice shook as she fought the tears back.

Wally's eyes softened, reaching out to touch her arm. "Jinx, I...-"

"NO!" A strong hexbolt shot from her eyes, slamming into Wally and sending him across the room, his back smashing into the glass window, causing the glass to shatter. The heartbroken teen then slid on her houseshoes and stormed out of the house, not caring if he was hurt or not. She walked until she was in the city, and kept walking.

And just to her luck, the sky opened up and it began raining cats and dogs. Good. Now it was easier to let her tears flow. _How could he say that_? she thought. _He wouldn't even dare to sleep with another girl..._

_...Would he?_

Jinx was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice a cloaked figure following her for the next five blocks. The back of her neck prickled.

"Wally, I know that's..." Jinx started, turning around with eyes lit up.

But no one was there.

Jinx rolled her eyes. _Men. Maybe I should stop dating period-or better yet, why don't I be a lesbian? **That** would be better than this! _Her thoughts turned sarcastic as she turned around, only to bump into someone. She staggered back into a set of arms, caught off guard as the arms tightened around her. "What the he-?!"

A syringe plunged in the side of her throat, and her glowing eyes dimmed, rolling to the back of her head as she collapsed. The dark figures tied her up and dragged her body to a black van, throwing her in the back.

The pink haired girl was far gone to notice an African American female, tied up around the chest, wrists, legs, and mouth-looking thoroughly beaten-scream her name.

The van's door slid closed, putting them both in the darkness. Little did the girls know that it was going to be a long ride...

And it's only gonna get worse from there, starting with the third and final target...

::.::

Two Honorary Titans were having dinner together; one was a mute blonde, wearing a black suit with an olive green button down shirt and dress shoes. The other was a petite, deep blue eyed girl with her long, hot pink hair in a ponytail; she wore a midnight blue flared dress with it and black heels.

"I'm having a really nice time, Jericho," Kole told him. "I'm glad you...asked me out." She blushed.

Jericho smiled, blushing too. "_Do you think you'd like to go out again?_" he signed.

Kole, who had learned sign language from Jericho and Herald, signed, "_Yes_."

Jericho's grin widened. He and Kole had developed a close friendship lately. This was technically their first date, since they've never dressed fancy for dinner before. He really liked her and wanted things to work out between them. Asking someone out is harder when you have a disability.

"Do you mind if I head to the little girl's room for a sec?" Kole asked, and he smiled once more, gesturing in the restroom's direction. She smiled back and thanked him, grabbing her purse before heading off to the girls' restroom.

Jericho sat back and waited patiently.

Kole, after handling her business and washing her hands, checked herself in the mirror. She retouched her makeup, running her fingers absentmindedly through her hair. Debating whether to leave it up or down, she pondered this for two minutes straight.

Then she had a feeling that someone was watching her. It was strange because no one was in the restroom with her. Looking around herself with a frown, she observed the scene around her before shrugging her shoulders and made her way out.

Before her hand reached the door to push, an arm constricted around her throat tightly, and she felt herself being dragged across the floor and towards the open window. She screamed and threw a fit, doing anything that she could to escape her pursuer. But it was too late. A needle struck her throat, and her body went limp.

::.::

Jericho was playing Angry Birds on his phone when he paused to check the time. Kole had been gone for twenty minutes! What was keeping her?

He texted her, **Hey, where are you?**

But he didn't get a reply.

He texted her again, once more before he was in full hero mode.

No answer had him springing to his feet and racing to the girls' restroom. He knocked rapidly, and when there was no response, he pressed his ear against the door. The only sound coming from the other side was the slow dripping of water into the sink.

Jericho kicked the door open and went in. He searched for anything pink, anything that bore midnight blue or matching irises. But there was none, and the only thing that caught his attention was the open window, the cool breeze blowing the curtains.

Now worried, he pushed the curtains aside and leaned out the window, looking this way and that. He sensed a struggle and saw dark silhouettes throwing a small, feminine looking body that was now tied up, in a black van.

Jericho's eyes widened, and he flung himself out the window, racing out towards the street. The van started up and Jericho ran after it. He ran until his feet burned and he had a horrible stomach cramp. But he was too late. The van driver's speed increased to the point that he couldn't keep up any longer. Breathless, he stopped running and did the last thing he could do.

He took his phone out and captured a picture. He knew he was gonna need help. He looked back down at his cellular device and did the last thing he could do.

He called her number and placed the phone to his ear. _PleasepickuppleasepickuppickuppleasepickupohPLEASE pickup, _he begged silently.

The ring tone ended, and he sighed in relief.

_"Hello, Joseph."_

Jericho, breathing heavily, gulped as his eyes widened in fear and rising anger. That deep, calmly menace voice did _not_ belong to Kole.

_"I must say, I am a little surprised hearing from you on such short notice. I'm afraid we'll have to talk another time when I'm not as...busy."_ A creepy chuckle was heard from the other speaker. "_But I guess I can spare a few minutes. Do tell me, Jericho. Did you have fun on your date with your ice princess tonight_?"

Jericho's teeth gritted.

"_I've told you ever since we've headed in...separate ways that I'll always keep an eye on you. You are never alone, son. I'm **always** with you_. _You can **never** hide from me. And it'll only be a matter of time before you'll join me. It's in your blood. You try so hard to be good and forget who your real family is, but eventually your heritage will come right back to haunt you..._

_"You know you would if her life was at stake. You'd do anything to save her. How sweet..." _Another chuckle. "_This is my first time meeting someone special in your life. And I can't wait until she wakes...I think we'll have a nice...**chat**..."_

Jericho's eyes began to water. _No..._

"_She's pretty too. After I have my way with her, she'll be a mess by the time she gets back to you. **If** she can survive such intensities..._"

The blonde's free hand balled into a fist and his jaw clenched.

_"Are you getting angry? I thought so. Mute or not, I still know what's going on in your head, and I'm always one step ahead of you. If you want to find out your little girlfriend's whereabouts, I'll give you a hint-you'll have to travel overseas if you want to find her. As a matter of fact, instead I'll give you this-you know of my lack of patience. So I tend to...move around._

_"Don't keep me waiting, Jericho. I'm not a patient man. The more you wait, the longer she and my other prisoners have to suffer. The clock is ticking."_

The line went dead, and Jericho slowly hung up.

His father had her. He _had_ her. And the other prisoners could turn out to be his friends too!

Jericho knew what had to be done. He needed help.

First, he headed straight home to change into something more casual before storming right back out. The place where he was going was gonna take a while to get there.

Unless he called a friend with a certain..._speed_.

Taking out his communicator, he called that friend on speed dial. The transmission was a success, and the ginger staring back at him looked like he was already on the run.

"What's up?" Kid Flash asked with an intense look.

"_How fast can you get here_?" Jericho signed.

There was a gust of wind, and the taller guy was standing next to the blomde as if he had been standing there the whole time. "This fast enough for you?"

* * *

"I have never felt so sore in my life!" Beast Boy complained as he followed an equally beaten Robin, Starfire, and Raven into the Ops.

Robin glared at the changeling bitterly, "Did you not see what they were doing? Those Sladebots were there to _distract_ us from whatever the hell Slade's doing! You've been in worse conditions, and now you're using this time to _whine_? _Grow up,_ Beast Boy! I don't wanna hear it!"

Beast Boy opened his mouth to retort when Raven ushered him to sit on the couch so she can heal him. Starfire placed her hand on Robin's arm, but he shrugged her off, leaving her feeling hurt.

"Not now, Starfire," he growled, pinching his temples.

Starfire would've bit her lip if it wasn't busted.

"Malchior mentioned something about 'having the place surrounded' if we tried to do anything," Raven said. "I only saw him a few times when we were fighting. He was directing the Sladebots. I...I think he's working for Slade."

"Great, another apprentice to deal with." Robin crossed his arms.

"I have a feeling he has more than one this time, Robin."

"And what makes you think that?" He demanded stoically.

"I sensed...more presences. Around three...maybe four, lingering in the shadows. The atmosphere around them weren't as...intense as Malchior's, but pretty close." Raven got to her feet, then gently pulled Starfire to the couch to heal her next.

"AND YOU COULDN'T HAVE TOLD ME THIS SOONER?!"

"DON'T YELL AT HER!" Beast Boy barked, hopping to his feet.

"STAY OVER THERE, BEAST BOY. THIS DOESN'T CONCERN _YOU_!"

"RRRRRGGH!" Beast Boy lunged for Robin, no one being able to stop him as he grabbed Robin by the shirt and shove him against the wall. Claws extended slightly. "QUIT ACTING LIKE A DICK AND LISTEN TO HER!"

"FUCK OFF!"

"FRIENDS, PLEASE CEASE THE YELLING!" Starfire sobbed, catching the boys' attention. Starfire flew over to them, placing her hand on Robin's shoulder, holding a hand up in front of Beast Boy. "Please..." she begged once again. "We may have lost tonight's battle, and we may be a little angry, but I believe that it's not healthy for us to act this way!

"Please, friend. Release Robin..."

Beast Boy growled, and dark energy encased around his hand. He looked up to find the empath holding her hand out to him, her hand now in an aura of dark energy.

"Gar, let him go..." Raven said to him gently, and used a new power of hers that she had discovered while in Azarath- concentrating on the riled up emotions in the room, she manipulated them into something calmer, and it almost felt as if a huge weight has been lifted.

Beast Boy released his grip on Robin, both boys uttering, "Sorry" to each other, and the changeling walked over to resume his spot on the couch and the teen wonder let the alieness wrap her arms around him.

A transmission call rang from the big screen, and before Robin could answer it, they all saw a distressed looking Cyborg staring back at them.

"Friend!" Starfire said in concern. "What is-?"

"Have ya'll seen Bumble Bee?!" He demanded. "She's been gone for hours! One minute she says she's going out to get some candy, and she hasn't showed up since then!"

"Easy, easy," Robin said. "Have you checked-?"

"Yes. I've checked her comm. signal, her heartbeat, the entire city, and the GPS to her phone mysteriously wiped off the face of the planet!"

"And how long has she been gone?"

"4 hours, 35.2 minutes and 28.9 seconds!"

Starfire gasped. "Don't worry, friend, we will find-!"

There was a gust of wind, causing the five Titans to look around. Kid Flash and Jericho were standing at the entrance of the Ops, Flash letting the blonde down; they both had the same pained look on their faces.

"Kole and Jinx are gone too," Kid Flash said. "I found this." He held up Jinx's crushed communicator, stepping down and handing it to Robin. "We had a fight and I went after her after a few minutes...there was a sign of distress where I found her communicator, laying in the street by tire streaks in the street. Jericho said that his father has Kole, and 'a few other prisoners'. We think those others might be Jinx and Bee."

"Who's your father?" Robin directed his question firmly at Jericho. The look on the mute's face made it clear, so clear that Robin didn't have to see Jericho sign the name. So clear that the look on Robin's face was all the information his team needed. All of this happened before Jericho finally held up his hand and signed each letter, forming the most hated name in Teen Titan history.

_"Slade._"


	24. It's Time For Some Testosterone

**Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback :) I can tell you all are excited and anticipated, so I didn't want to keep you waiting ;)**

**Also, _Bats, Aliens, Secrets, and the Sacred Journal_ shall be up soon. I have not forgotten it, I promise :))**

* * *

The Tower had never been so tense.

After ending the transmission with Cyborg, who was already on his way home, each Titan was doing a separate thing. Robin glared out of the window, arms crossed tight; Starfire was sobbing, as well as giving Jericho and Kid Flash quiet words of comfort; Beast Boy was sitting on the couch, hunched over, with arms resting on his knees as he glowered at the floor; Raven was meditating by the window, across from Robin, determined to ease her headaches from all the emotions slapping her across her face.

After at least a half an hour later, Raven sighed, floating back down to the floor, cross-legged. She focused on each individual in the room, centering on a dominant emotion that each of them had, manipulating them into feeling less uptight and upset. _Azarath Metrion Zinthos._..

All of the Titans, excluding the empath, let out a quiet exhale.

Beast Boy's eyes met Raven's from across the room.

_"You okay_?" he mouthed.

She nodded.

His lips pursed, eyeing her for a moment before he morphed into a puppy and trotted over to her. She watched him climb into her lap, hoisting himself up on his hind legs, paws padding her collarbone; he licked her cheek a few times, barking in laughter at the look on her face, then morphed into a cat and nestled himself in her lap. He closed his eyes as she ran a hand through his fur, causing the changeling to purr.

_You're giving me a headache, _she told Robin through their mental link.

Robin cracked the smallest of grins. _Sorry._

_You can't blame Jericho for who his father is._

_I'm not. I can see why he wouldn't tell us._

_Uh huh._

_Er...Raven?_

_Mmm?_

_I'm, uh, sorry about...earlier and-_

_I know. _

Robin turned around, giving her a curt nod before walking over to where Jericho was sitting; Jericho looked up nervously and met the Titans leader's gaze.

"I thank you for telling us this information," Robin said to him.

Jericho nodded, still unsure, and Robin gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Cyborg came bounding in the Tower not ten minutes later, and, despite the lack of emotion in the room, Starfire and Beast Boy expressed their happiness anyway.

"CYBORG!" The two flew across the room, nearly knocking the half-robot down, the alieness almost sobbing again.

"Hey." Cyborg forced a smile, rubbing Starfire's back in comfort.

"You got here fast," Beast Boy noted.

"I was already on my way when I called," Cyborg said, doing a short, three-way handshake with Beast Boy and Robin, then Kid Flash, and waved at Jericho and Raven.

"Good," Robin said. "Now that we're all here, we can-"

A transmission cut through, breaking off all conversation, revealing a half-shaded mask. Tension rose at its peak, and in the same second, Beast Boy grabbed Raven; pulling her away from the screen, he sunk in a protective crouch in front of her, one arm keeping her in place.

_"Slade!"_ Everyone growled.

There was a smile in the villain's voice. "_Hello, Robin."_

Beast Boy straightened up from his crouch. "Really, dude? Do you _not_ see us here? Why you always gotta say _Robin's_ name every time you call?"

"Dude's got a point," Kid Flash said. "I swear he's a sex predator..." he muttered to the changeling.

"Raaaaape," Beast Boy singsonged back under his breath.

Robin and Raven shot dark looks in their direction, shutting them up immediately; Robin was all business as he walked forward, standing center. He made sure Starfire was nearby so he wouldn't loose it completely and do something rash; the alieness walked forward, but stayed half a foot behind the masked leader.

"We already know your plans, Slade," he said through gritted teeth. "You have Bumble Bee, Jinx, and Kole. What do you want from them?"

_"That's for me to know only, Robin,_" Slade said back, and Jericho, Cyborg, and Kid Flash gritted their teeth._ "I have my reasons."_

_Oh I'm sure you do_, Robin thought bitterly. "Where are you? We'll find you and put an end to this!"

"_Oh I'm sure you will. No matter what you plan, it'll already be too late. Want to know a little secret to where I'm going? Let's just say we're already sailing across the seas..."_

"That's a wonderful hint," Kid Flash grumbled. "Just cut the bullshit and tell us so I can find you and rip your head from your-!" Beast Boy wrapped his arm around Kid Flash, hand clamping over his mouth, the speedster's profanities muffled.

"_Better calm your teammate over there, Robin, or his girlfriend will suffer. Now I'm going to say this once and only once-I want the world on their knees-"_

"Shocker," Kid Flash and Beast Boy muttered, Kid's voice still muffled.

"_-and each time I fail because of you...**Titans** that get in my way. So I'm moving on...to a bigger, better city, where ladies are more...free and spirited. Some might say patriotic, but we all know this city is nothing but filth, sin, and lies...I'll give you, oh, I don't know...I'll play nice and give you all the time you need. But consider this, my friends, as told by Benjamin Franklin-'Lost time is never found again...'_"

And with that, the transmission cut off.

Silence.

Jericho leapt to his feet, bounding out of the room. Kid Flash jabbed Beast Boy, causing the changeling to fall to the floor, and he was also gone with a gust of wind. Beast Boy hopped back to his feet, fists balled up. Cyborg pinched the bridge of his nose. Raven remained emotionless, but on the inside she was screaming and panicking; Bee was to Raven as Cyborg was to Beast Boy, almost on the same level of friendship now. Starfire was fighting back tears, and touched Robin's shoulder ever so slightly. Robin's shoulders were taut.

"Well...what do we do?" Beast Boy asked, more directly to Robin than anyone else.

Robin still didn't turn as he straightened up, his team bracing themselves. "Titans..." After a moment, he sighed, turning around slightly and addressed them in a defeated tone, "Go to bed. Rest up. We'll talk more in the morning."

Cyborg and Raven nodded, while Beast Boy looked like he wanted to say something; by a tug of the arm from Raven and by a pat on the back from Cyborg, the three Titans exited the Ops without another word.

Starfire lingered, coming up beside him.

"That's an order..." He told her, lacking authority in his voice.

"I am aware," Starfire whispered, turning his face over so she could look at him. He stayed impassive until she leaned in and kissed him. Robin raised a hand to her cheek, then down her neck before forcing himself to pull away; he had to think, and he couldn't do that without probable distractions. "Goodnight, Robin."

"Goodnight, Starfire," he whispered back, and watched her leave the room.

"Have pleasant snorflacks," she murmured under her breath, and the doors slid closed behind her.

Sighing, the Teen Wonder did not retreat to his room, but took the other passageway out, heading to the Evidence Room instead.

A place where he wouldn't emerge for hours.

* * *

Robin rapidly tapped his fingers impatiently and angrily on his desk, his tired blue eyes taking in the bright glare of his laptop screen. He had been staring at it for hours, going over past files and reports on Slade, researching past hideout locations and pinpointing the patterns, and taking extra notes by typing them down.

He had already implanted a plan in his brain after working around the facts. If Slade was kidnapping Kole, Jinx, and Bumble Bee, he must have his twisted reasons; one of them had to be that he wanted them to work for him. He shuddered at the double meaning in 'work'. Slade wouldn't dare kidnap Starfire or Raven-a real idiot would try to kidnap a powerful Tamaranean or the Daughter of Trigon. C'mon.

He was still worried. They were his friends, good enough to trigger the big brother mode within him. He always had that protective quality, but the feeling was stronger towards those closest to him.

Why did Slade have to show up _now_? Just when he thought his life was getting better...He hated himself. Absolutely loathed his well-being. He was bitter. More hardworking. More obsessive over his greatest enemy. Drives himself into madness. Barely ate. Barely slept. And a hell of a lot more of being the selfish, asshole-Robin.

He didn't want to be that Robin. Yet he was already turning into him.

Still, after finding no exact leads, he slammed his laptop shut, and clenched the bridge of his nose as he hung his head. His body was begging for sleep, but he won't allow it. His friends, his best friends' girlfriends, were missing, possibly getting tortured and other despicable things, and he was thinking about _sleeping_ on it? He didn't have time for that!

Three soft knocks filled the room, and when he didn't get up to answer it, his door slid open anyway.

He heard no footsteps, but a light, almost jingly sound that went with a soft swoop of air.

He still didn't move.

Soft hands landed softly on his tense shoulders, and he sighed as he automatically began to relax under the soft touch. Fingers traveled down his skin, arms wrapping around him. Lips were now at his ear, "Come, please."

Robin complied, getting up with a poker face as he was tugged out of his room and down the dark hallway. Reaching a bedroom door, the dainty fingers typed the passcode, and the door slid open. The same hands pulled him inside, the door sliding closed behind him. Besides the moonlight peeking in a little, providing the dimmest of lights, he didn't have to think about whose bedroom he was in. He already had an idea.

He felt hands stroking his face, a smaller and feminine body barely grazing his. "You need to rest..."

Robin sighed, "Starfire..."

She kissed him softly, leaving him speechless. "No, Robin...you will slumber with me." Her lips met his again and he returned the kiss this time, fingers running through his hair, her free arm around his neck. "Whatever you are working on can wait until the morning..."

"Are...you sure...?" He spoke quietly through kisses, hands easing their way up and down her backside. They haven't slept together yet in their relationship (and by 'slept', he means actually sleeping. But they haven't _slept_ slept together either.)

Starfire nodded, pulling back to remove his mask and place it on her bedside table. Returning to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, his around her waist in response, and kissed him again. "Please...for me..."

Sighing in defeat, he cupped her face in his hands, their foreheads touching. "Okay..."

Starfire gave him a little smile, and the two got into bed. Once comfortable, she scooted closer to him and they embraced, arms wrapped around each other snugly.

"I'm sorry I kept you up..." He murmured in her ear.

She craned her head, twisting it so her lips could reach his jawline. "We shall do the talking when we wake up again." One hand slid underneath his shirt, tracing small circles with her finger on his bare skin.

He nodded.

She yawned, nuzzling her head against his chest. "Dick?"

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

He smiled tiredly, letting his eyes close. "Love you too, Kori."

* * *

When he woke up again, he found himself in a different position. And a lower one at that. His head was resting on a softer surface, which he sleepily discovered was Starfire's stomach, and his arm was wrapped around her waist. Her fingers were running slowly and soothingly through his locks, meaning that she was awake too, probably long before he had woke up.

He let out a long sigh, readjusting his head a little.

"You are awake?" she asked him in almost a whisper.

He nodded.

"Did you have pleasant snorflacks?"

Robin shrugged. To be honest, he had a dreamless sleep. At least it had been stress relieving.

He sat up, moving himself upward and bringing her into his arms. He was going to have to leave soon; in more ways than one, he would realize this later.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Well, my dream was very...odd. I dreamt that we were fighting the Mad Mod and all of a sudden, he and the Jumbo of Mumbos teamed up by placing us in the earthly learning districts and turning us into little bumgorfs. It was rather amusing."

Robin smiled wryly. He shifted, kissing her forehead, "I gotta go."

Starfire's face fell. "I...understand."

"Thank you for letting me sleep over," he told her with a little smile, and she giggled some, watching him put on his mask.

"I welcome you," she said, and he leaned down to drop a kiss on her forehead.

Once reaching his room, Robin spotted the time. _5:53 a.m. _Good. He was still early; normally, he'd get up around five, but this wasn't so bad. He showered quickly, putting on a fresh uniform, and headed out to find a few specific people.

He ran into Cyborg first, who looked like he didn't get much sleep; it was either that, or he had nightmares.

"Good morning, Cyborg," Robin greeted, and Cyborg gave him a solemn nod. "Actually, you're just the person I wanna see. One of them though."

"Oh. What's going-?"

"Hey guys!" Beast Boy called out, appearing at the bottom of the stairs that led to the rooftop. Approaching his two best buds, they did their three-way handshake, but not as enthusiastic of course.

"You're up early," Cyborg noted.

"Er, yeah..." Beast Boy rubbed the back of his head, lightly blushing. "I, um...was just saying good morning to Raven."

Cyborg actually started to smile.

"So, uh anyway, what's up?" the changeling asked.

"Follow me," Robin said, and they did. "Where's Flash and Jericho?"

Cyborg pointed down the hallway, and the three ventured down that way. The half-robot pointed to the two guest bedrooms on that hall. Robin knocked on the first one.

The door slid open, revealing Kid Flash with mildly wet hair. "Oh, it's you guys. What's up?"

"We need you." Robin gestured for him to come out and follow, which the ginger did. With hesitation, though, he approached the guest room that Jericho was staying at, but as he rose a fist, the door slid open to reveal the mute looking sullen; the blonde looked at the males around him and, as if he already knew, he stepped out and the door slid closed behind him.

Robin led the way back to the Evidence Room.

* * *

"...and so the reason why I'm asking you four only is not just because of safety precautions, but I know you all have the potential," Robin was saying. "Beast Boy and Cyborg were my automatic choices because they are in my team." The two that were being acknowledged nodded. "Jericho, since Slade is your father, we could definitely use that as an advantage." Jericho nodded in determination. "And Kid Flash," he addressed him, "I know you'll be dying to go. I wouldn't want to have it any other way. Kid Flash nodded, followed by a quiet, "Thanks, man." Robin continued, "Furthermore, Cyborg, Kid Flash, and Jericho deserve to go, because, well...you know," he didn't finish. "I don't want to delay things any longer, so pack your things. We leave at daybreak tomorrow. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I wanna know where we're goin'?" said Kid Flash.

"I can answer that," said Beast Boy, getting to his feet. He stood by Robin as he played back the transmission call from Slade. "Aaaand pause!" He paused the video. "See this green in the corner there? And the sea in the background? That's the Statue of Liberty! We're goin' to New York!"

"How can you be sure?" said Cyborg.

"If you listened to what Slade said, 'A bigger, better city, where_ ladies _are more_ free and spirited. _Some might say _patriotic_?' HINT, HINT? He practically gave himself away right there! Clearly he listens to Jay-Z because in the song _Empire State of Mind_, Jay-Z _clearly_ refers to New York as the 'city of the sin' and talks about 'good girls gone bad'!"_  
_

"You're right..." Cyborg murumured in astonishment.

Beast Boy looked smug, glad that he understood something for once, crossing his arms. Robin patted Beast Boy on the back.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Robin nodded at Beast Boy, who nodded back at him with a cheeky grin. "Now, what's left is calling Titans East. I'm gonna ask Aqualad and Speedy to come with us and..."

"And what?" Kid asked.

Robin almost looked sheepish. "I'm gonna have to call some...distant reinforcements in assistance for a mission this big."

Kid Flash's eyes brightened. "No. Way."

Robin sighed, "Yes."

"What?" Beast Boy and Cyborg asked while Jericho looked curiously.

Kid looked giddy. "You're _totally_ calling Bats!"

* * *

**Ahh, a much longer chapter was needed, and this was perfect :) Sounds like our favorite Titan boys are going on a mission! But...what about the girls? And why is Robin about to call Batman, a.k.a. his father for all legal purposes?**

**If you review, you'll find out ;) **


	25. Promise Me

**Hey guys! I didn't want to keep ya'll waiting for long, so I decided to post this!**

**Fair warning: There's a lot of RobStar suggestiveness...**

**You're welcome ;)**

* * *

"You're WHAT?!" Starfire screeched, flying out of her boots and startling Raven, who made the pot of grits blow up; the boys winced at her outburst, ready to run.

"I'm sorry, Star, that's just the way it has to be," said Robin. "We don't want to take any more risks-"

"I STRONGLY DISAGREE! You are making Raven and myself more vulnerable by leaving us alone!"

"Slade isn't after you," Robin raised his voice a little but remained calm and on his level, "The focus is better without you and Raven. I'm not trying to be offensive, but...that's just how I want it. And you're gonna have to deal with it."

Starfire huffed, crossing her arms and sitting back down next to Raven.

Raven cleared her throat. "When do you all leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, at sunrise."

Raven's heart sank as she met Beast Boy's eyes from across the table. "And how long do you think you'll be gone?"

"Not sure. This is a tough case to crack," Robin replied. "Might be several weeks, to months. But we'll keep you posted when we can." Raven now had an odd look on her face. "What?"

"If we're gonna be separated..." Raven said slowly, then she eyed each of her teammates. "Then I need to make sure that if you'll ever need us-"

"In which you will," Starfire interjected with another girly huff.

"-then I'll be able to...know what's going on. Or rather, we'd _all_ know what's going on and we'll be able to communicate without Slade knowing."

"By what?"

Raven got to her feet. "Robin, you don't have to worry about that. Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire-come with me."

* * *

"This isn't fair!" Beast Boy voiced his thoughts as he packed his things. Raven sat on his bed, watching him wordlessly; she used her powers to help him though. "I mean, I know the reason why he's not letting you guys come, and it's gonna be awesome with just us dudes but...but.." He stopped his pacing.

"We just got together..." Raven finished. "I know."

He turned around, smiling sadly at her. "Yeah. I just got a girlfriend, and already have to be away from her for who knows how long." He walked over to her, holding his hands out to her.

"Mm..." Raven took his hands, getting to her feet. "I think she's gonna miss you too."

Beast Boy removed his hands from her grip, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her snugly; at first she was stiff, but then she relaxed into him and returned the embrace. "This sucks," he laughed weakly.

"Tell me about it."

He dropped his head in the crook of her neck. "What're we gonna do, Rae?"

She shrugged against him, hand on the side of his chest. "Get through it I guess."

"You don't understand, Raven," Beast Boy pulled back to look down at her, "The Beast has attached himself to you, and the bond is stronger now that we're together. I don't know what's gonna happen when we're gonna be apart for so long."

"It's not gonna be bad."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. It kinda feels good. Hoping again." Raven met his gaze. "Everything's going to be okay." She placed her hand on the side of his face, and he held it there.

Sighing, he closed his eyes and whispered, "There was so much I wanted to get to do with you...if Bee and them hadn't been kidnapped..."

Raven nodded. "I know...How about we focus on right now?"

His answer came in a kiss, his free hand on her hip and hers lowering to graze against his abdomen as she returned it. He smiled against her mouth, pulling back to say to her, "Wanna see if the GameStation is still open downstairs?"

She shrugged, and even started to smile back. "Sure."

* * *

Robin finished packing up, releasing an exhale as he looked around his room. It seemed so...empty.

Starfire hadn't talked to him at all today. Not even during calls of trouble. He missed hearing her voice. This _was_ his last night in the Tower. He didn't want to spend it without her.

He walked in the Ops, finding Beast Boy and Raven-Raven?-playing video games and sitting very close together.

"Hey, have you seen Starfire?" he asked.

"Rooftop," they said together.

"Thanks."

He made his way up to the roof. Opening the door, the first thing he saw was the beautiful sight of the sky. The stars were out, the moon waning in the sky. All the lights installed in the Tower's rooftop were out, really bringing out the beauty of it all. The Tower sure was in a perfect spot. If it had been built directly in the city, the stars wouldn't be as easy to see.

Starfire was laying on two of her blankets, laying on top of them while gazing almost sorrowfully at the dark sky above.

"May I join you?"

Starfire looked up, squinting through the dark, and recognized him. She hesitated, then nodded before scooting over to the right to give him some room. He lowered himself down on the soft cloth, laying down on his back, and mirroring her by resting his laced fingers on his stomach.

They layed there together in silence.

Robin broke it awkwardly after a moment.

"'S beautiful out here."

Starfire's gaze remained on the stars. "Indeed."

He moistened his lips. "Listen, Star, I...-"

"No, Robin," she interjected. "I am at the fault. I should have not wasted this day. You are departing in a matter of hours and all I have done is act like a clorbag to you. I bring you a-pology..."

"You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do." She rolled over on her side, balancing herself on her elbow to look at him. "But you cannot do the blaming of me for my reaction previously...I love you, Richard. I just dislike it when we are apart. Especially at a time like this."

Robin looked over at her, listening to her continue.

"You will have my cooperation. I will go along with whatever you are planning because I know you and you often make the decision of best. Just know that this will be challenging for me..." she reached out to caress his face. "And I will miss you terribly..."

He sighed deeply, running a hand through her red locks. "The feeling's mutual..."

She closed her eyes, sinking down and resting her head and palm on his chest, tucking her head underneath his chin; fighting back tears, she tried to relax as his arms wound around her.

But a tear did slip, and he caught it as he ran the back of his hand across her cheek and jawline. "Star?"

She shook her head head quickly, and he said nothing else, running soothing strokes through her scalp. They stayed like that for another half hour, relishing in the last moments they would have together before he had to leave.

Something registered in his brain. This is Slade-his worst enemy. The only villain he truly feared. The only villain that had him thinking...

_There is a possibility that I might die today._

And now there was a greater possibility. That this might really be his last night at the Tower, with Starfire. But he would never tell her that. She already had enough to worry about.

Jaw taut, he lowered his hand to the small of her back, absentmindedly tracing small circles around her exposed skin with his fingers, similarly to how she had done for him last night. He felt her sigh, and her own fingers laced with his free hand.

"Dick..." she murmured, "what if...what if you do not...?"

"Shh." His hand returned to her hair, fingers weaving through and keeping a gentle but firm grip.

"But..."

"I know what you're thinking, Kori, and I want you to stop. You don't need to worry about that."

"You cannot possibly know that! I have to worry! You may be gone, and you might never return...I cannot...I..." she wiped at her moist cheeks.

"That's not gonna happen, because I'm not gonna let that happen," he vowed, almost telling himself this, and she rose her head to look at him better; he came up in a sitting position to make his point more assertive. "I will make sure that all of us get out of there safe and sound, and in one piece. I will go defeat Slade and end this once and for all, and when that's done, I will come back. _I'll come back for you, Star_." He caught a stray tear as it fell, and she nuzzled his hand.

"Promise me..." she demanded, but her voice came out in a whimper.

He took her face in his hands. "_I promise_."

She cracked a watery smile, hands coming up on either side of his neck as she rested her forehead against his. She gave him a gentle kiss on his nose, closing her eyes as she fought back another round of tears.

When she opened her eyes again, his gaze at her was so intense that she almost stopped breathing, even with his mask on. And, like a switch being turned on, their lips fused together, knocking the living breath out of each other. Her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands smoothing down her back and pressing her tighter against him. He was surprised by how heated, needy, and passionate this kissing was.

His mask was off then, being thrown to the side by Starfire without tearing her lips away from his; she pushed him down on his back and followed suite, still straddling his legs. He flipped them over, hand running down her arm and side, then curving around her knee; breaking away for air, he attacked her neck while hitching her leg around his hip, making her gasp and crave more of him. She grabbed his face, and he stopped kissing her throat, only to unite their lips once more.

The next articles of clothing to go were his shoes and her boots, his cape, utility belt, and shirt. Her hands marveled his toned chest and abs, his strong and sturdy backside, and the occasional scar from a battle that never went away. As she touched each scar, he rested his head against hers, blue eyes gazing into green. She somehow knew that these scars were from Slade's doing.

Their lips met again, softer this time, almost hesitant as his hands began to travel in the same places hers did on him. Sucking in a breath through her teeth, simultaneously with his sigh as his hands enclosed around her mounds, her hands fingered with his pants.

"Star, wait," he whispered, catching her hand before she could unzip. Their breathing heavy and eyes hazey, she started to lightly blush-again.

"What did...Did I do something wrong?" she asked him quietly and breathlessly.

"No, no. It's just that, well..." He coughed and blushed. "We're...on the roof..."

Starfire went a deeper shade of red. "Oh. You are correct..."

Robin softly chuckled, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to get ready for bed..." He told her while getting off of her, putting his clothes back on.

"Oh..." Disappointment washed through the alieness as she slid on each boot. She watched him reach the door first as she stood to her feet, tilting her head to the side in curiosity as he paused.

"You can join me..." he finished timidly, looking at her from underneath his eyelashes. "if you want..."

Starfire gasped as he put on his mask and left, now feeling light-headed.

_Is he meaning...?_

* * *

As soon as he got to his room, Robin hopped in the shower. He washed himself once. Then twice. Then three times just because. Yes. The teen wonder was very jittery and nervous now.

Now he surely smelled like his favorite soap.

Coming in his room with wet hair and wearing a pair of black low riding sweats, he cleared out Slade's files and other things with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. Since he normally kept his room clean, the only thing left to do was light some candles.

Not wanting to go overboard or too sappy, he lit just a few, spreading them evenly around the room; luckily he kept up with these things, which he had gotten from Raven over the years, and were Christmas and birthday presents.

After spitting out the remaining toothpaste and mouthwash, he paced around the room to ease the nerves. Was she coming? Did she even want to...-_err...you know!-_with him? Or was she too nervous to-?

Three soft knocks filled the room, reaching his ears as if his door had been banged on-no pun intended-making him jump. Taking a deep breath, he crossed the room at a reasonable pace-no need to look or seem overly eager-typing in the passcode so the door could slide open.

And there she stood, wearing a silky sleeveless, soft pink nightgown with the hem stopping mid-thigh; her hair was wavy, and she smelled like citrus fruit. She appeared nervous, index fingers tapping together and one leg behind the other, but she also seemed...a bit...

_Excited._

"Hi," he broke the silence after he could find his voice, leaning against the doorframe.

Her eyes, which had been giving him a onceover as well-appreciating how low his pants were hanging on his hips (ahh, that V), flickered back up to meet his with a shy smile. "Greetings."

"Would you like to come in?"

"Please."

He stepped aside, and she walked in, eyes traveling around the room with her hands behind her back; he closed the door, and, for the first time in a while, locked it.

She turned around on the heels of her feet, meeting his gaze again as he slowly approached her with a small smile on his face. She returned it.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting..." she said, still playing with her fingers. "Curiosity abounded. I did not know how to dress for...this occasion." Her cheeks turned faintly pink.

"It's okay," he reassured her. Honestly, he would've been fine with her coming in her birthday suit.

But on second thought, he'd most likely faint if she did that. How embarrassing.

"Starfire..." he began. "I, uh...I just want you to know that...if there's ever a time when you want me to stop,...I'll stop."

She smiled wryly, taking his hand in hers. "I know of this. You are...different. I know that you will not hurt me. You are the only one I love and the only one who I trust with my body besides myself. And..." She released his hand, mentally taking note that their noses were almost touching. "I wouldn't want you to stop..." Her gaze drifted down to his lips.

He gulped, then wet his lips and cleared his suddenly dry throat. "I guess that's good...because with you dressed like that..." He ran a hand down her side. "I don't think I'll be able to..."

She bit her lip, leaning into him and let her lips graze his ear, " _Glorious_."

Robin shuddered.

Their eyes met, and it wasn't long before their lips followed. Tongues and limbs tangled as the two Titans stumbled on his bed.

And then, eventually-_finally_, it was skin against skin...

* * *

**.::3 Hours Later::.**

It was quiet. Peacefully quiet. The only sounds bouncing off the Titans leader's walls were slow and even breathing; feminine coos; and masculine, soft laughter.

Still in a state of euphoria, Robin and Starfire were cuddled together in his bed, the comforter pulled up to their waists; with him laying on his back and her on her side, she had her head resting in his shoulder blade, and their fingers were laced together just above his abdomen. Content smiles were present on their faces. The last two candles were still in the process of burning out.

Starfire giggled suddenly, causing him to chuckle with her in harmony. "What?" he asked, looking down at her, his free hand running through her hair.

Smiling wider, she sat up a little more to do the same to him, all the while pressing naked skin-oh_ all the beautiful glory_-against him. "It is nothing...I am just...happy." Her hand drifted down to his cheek, and his own grin widened as she pulled his mouth down to hers. They both laughed softly as they slowly became more absorbed, his hands on her upper and lower back, caressing her soft skin; she rolled over and his hands pulled her on top of him.

::.::

He woke up before she did, waking up at the same time as Cyborg, Beast Boy, Kid Flash, and Jericho.

He showered, then put on dark clothes. After touching up his hair and putting on his mask, he carried his bags silently up to the roof. Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Kid Flash's bags were already there, but Jericho was just putting his things down when Robin came out.

Jericho stood, nodding at Robin, who nodded back. The blonde was sporting a new 'do, the sides of his hair buzzed shorter than the hair on top, which looked windswept. Although it looked like Beast Boy's hairstyle, Jericho's looked less...tamed.

The blonde, along with Robin and the others, decided to wear dark clothes too.

Robin, after putting his stuff down, went back inside to wake Starfire up. Entering his room, he realized that he didn't need to. Starfire was in the midst of putting her nightgown back on, sliding the straps on her shoulders. She turned around when she heard the door open, her gaze locked with his as he walked over to her.

They greeted each other with a soft, but passionate, kiss.

"You hungry?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yes," and they walked hand-in-hand down to the Ops.

Breakfast was quiet with the Titans. Only Kid Flash and Beast Boy kept conversations going, trying to keep things light. Starfire's smiles were sad, and sometimes forced; Robin's hand held hers underneath the table. They never stopped touching, whether it was this, or a touch on the arm or small of the back. No one judged them otherwise.

"Rob," Cyborg said about an hour later, and Robin looked up. "Time to go."

All seven Titans quietly headed up to the roof.

Kid Flash and Jericho stepped to the side, leaving the remaining five standing together.

Raven spoke first. "Be careful." The boys nodded, Beast Boy smiling wryly.

"Kick the butt!" Starfire said enthusiastically, and then that's when the alieness broke down, which caused the team to close in for a group hug. After this, she hugged Cyborg, then Beast Boy. As she did this, Raven hugged Robin, then hugged Cyborg when he was free.

Starfire then found herself standing in front of Robin. With her hand over her mouth, tears flowing freely, she walked into his arms, burying her face in his chest; he held her tight, kissing her temple, and closed his eyes. Her arms found their way around his neck, her face tucked in his shoulder.

"I'm really gonna miss you," he murmured.

"I love you!" she sobbed back in response.

Beast Boy and Raven took a moment to stare at each other.

"Raven, I-" the changeling began.

"Shh!" Raven shushed him as she practically marched up to him. "Just shut up and come here." She threw her arms around his neck, clutching him to her. Beast Boy sighed, burying his face in her hair, inhaling her scent as he returned her embrace. His eyes closed while hers stayed open, staring blankly at the ground.

Robin and Starfire pulled away from their embrace, only to lean in and kiss each other deeply, her fingers running through his hair, his marveling her hips and keeping her close to him, savoring the feeling of keeping her close.

But, eventually they did part. Starfire wiped her wet cheeks, and it took all of what Robin had to not cry too.

Beast Boy's grip started to loosen, and Raven pulled away to look at him. She didn't have to be a mind reader to know that even though he obviously wanted more, he wasn't going to embarrass her.

But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Speedy and Aqualad arrived with their things, recieving hugs and handshakes as well.

Starfire and Raven were in the midst of hugging Kid Flash and Jericho when an engine was heard from above, wind blowing their hair back and making them retreat several steps.

A futuristic black, flying vehicle slowly began to land. From a Batman fan's perspective, it looked like a cross between a jet and the Batmobile Tumbler.

Robin was the only one who remained impassive as the door opened, swinging up. Emerging first was an elderly man.

Robin smiled slightly as he walked up to greet him, hand outstretched, "Alfred."

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Master Richard," Alfred bowed before bringing the younger boy to him for a hug.

"Good to see you too. Is...?" His voice trailed off as a dark figure emerged from the vehicle, looking broodish and emotionless. Tall and intimidating.

Robin cleared his throat as he met his father and mentor in the middle. "Bruce," he greeted once they were out of earshot.

Batman nodded back, "Dick."

Robin nodded his head towards the dark vehicle behind Batman, "This it?"

"Yes. It's yours, but I expect you not to break it within the week."

"Tell that to Kid Flash over there."

Batman made eye contact with Kid Flash, who waved frantically at him, and arched an eyebrow. "I see." He observed the younger teens staring at them, the tearful redhead catching his attention for a split second. "I assume you've said your goodbyes."

"Mmhmm. Is the T-Car-?"

"-Yes, parked in the back."

"Good. I guess we can leave now." Robin looked over his shoulder, beckoning, "C'mon, guys!"

The boys nodded back, gathering their things and heading up into Robin's jet. Alfred helped along.

Beast Boy was the last to get everything situated. He was climbing up the steps when-

"Beast Boy!"

The changeling backed back down the steps, turning around to face Raven as she walked briskly up to him.

"Yeah, what's up?" he asked.

"You forgot something," she said.

And then, before he could ask what, she legit took his breath away by giving him a mind-blowing kiss.

Beast Boy walked into the jet with a dopey smile on his face, the door sliding down behind him. The interior was primarily black, but had other colors mixed in as well, and there was a seat for everyone, Robin and Batman sitting in the very front; father and son wore headpieces. Beast Boy plopped down in the window seat next to Cyborg, who patted his back with a small smug grin.

"Ready when you are, Dick," Batman said.

Robin stole a glace out of his window, and found Starfire staring back at him. She rose a hand as she waved meakly, the wind blowing through her hair. His lips pulled up at the corners, then he forced himself to look away.

"Initiating takeoff in five..." he said, and the jet began to power up.

"Four..." said Batman flipping switches.

"Three..." Robin pushed a button, and the jet slowly began to rise, lighting up blue from the bottom.

"Two..." The back headlights lit and powered up.

Robin closed his eyes, "One..." And he pulled back on the throttle while pressing the buttons on top.

The jet rose, veered back, then launched off into the air at blinding speed. The two remaining Titans watched until they couldn't watch anymore before looking at each other and coming into each other for a hug.

The sound of a motorcycle's engine cut their embrace short, causing them to break apart and look down. Raven teleported them down to the garage so they could get a better look.

Two females stepped off the motorcycle, taking off their helmets and shaking their hair out around them. Starfire began to smile and even Raven appeared pleasantly surprised.

"So," said Jade as Terra held up cups of ice cream and boxes of tissues sheepishly, "Where do we sleep?"

And, whether it was in the moment, or the fact that they all felt hopelessly in love with one of the boys had left, or maybe it was the fact that they were girls, the four girls collapsed on the ground against each other and burst into tears.

* * *

**Wow. I just realized how long this chapter is xP **

**Reviews are welcome :)**


	26. The Arrival

**You guys are so awesome! Each review made me smile :) Thanks so much!**

**Whelp, **

**FANGIRL ADVISORY: DO NOT READ THIS WHILE LISTENING TO "WHEN YOU'RE GONE" BY AVRIL LAVIGNE IF YOU'RE AN EASY SOBBER. THANK YOU XD**

* * *

With the jet flying on autopilot, Robin sat with his seat facing the window to his right; with his wallet pulled out, picture withdrawn and laying gingerly in his hands, he stared down at a picture of Starfire. He didn't notice that it was already nightfall.

Alfred peered over his shoulder. "Pretty."

Robin smiled a little. "I know."

"Don't you think so, Bruce?" Alfred asked.

Bruce, who had his mask off, looked up from his laptop. "Hm?"

"Master Dick's lady friend, of course."

"And which one is that?"

"The...Tamaranean native, sir."

"Ah. I am aware."

"And what do you think of her?" Robin couldn't help but ask.

Bruce shut his laptop, letting it slide in like a CD into the slot. "She seems...er..."

Alfred chuckled; he already knew where Dick got his awkwardness from.

"Like a nice young lady," Bruce finished after a moment of stammering, sighing after he got a small smile from his son. Good. That appeared to be the right, paternal thing to say, right?

Beast Boy snickered, and Robin shot him a look.

"So," Aqualad patted Beast Boy on the back, "how long have you and Raven been together?" The boys leaned in with grins on their faces.

"Couple of days." The changeling blushed. "I hated leaving her."

"I'm sure she did too," said Speedy. "That was some angry kiss back there."

Beast Boy's blush deepened. "Yeah." He cleared his throat some, sitting up straighter. "What about you guys?" he addressed the East boys.

"Me and Jade hugged and kissed it out," Speedy said, Beast Boy and Cyborg's eyes going wide, "Yeah, we're still kinda fresh on the scene too. Gotta say, I'm really gonna miss her. Who's gonna watch out for her? I mean, she's been doing good so far but...I still worry, ya know?" They all nodded, and Aqualad patted his back. "Aqualad over here chickened out and just kissed Terra on the cheek and forehead."

Aqualad blushed. "Not funny, man. I didn't know what else to do."

"Kiss the living sh-..." Speedy was aware of Alfred's listening ears, "crap out of her!"

"I couldn't do that," Aqualad said, shaking his head.

"And why not?"

"Because-!" Aqualad sighed heavily, crossing his arms and sinking in his seat. "You won't understand. All of you have girlfriends waiting for you to get back. Official girls, that is. You know, wifeys."

Jericho leaned around, and Aqualad watched him sign, "_You and me both, bro_."

Aqualad nodded. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Jer."

Jericho nodded with a faint smile.

"Technically for me," Kid Flash said, catching their attention. "Jinx and I had a big fight before she went missing. Things were said that I didn't mean..." He buried his face in his hands. "I bet she hates me now."

"Don't say that," said Beast Boy. "I bet she still loves you, and is waiting for you to save her."

Kid Flash smiled a little, but it didn't meet his eyes.

Half an hour later, Robin stood; approaching the boys, who went silent as he stopped in the front of the aisle, he rested a hand on each seat as he leaned on them.

"We arrive at our destination in five," he informed. "This is also where Bruce and Alfred will be leaving us. But Bruce'll be keeping in touch. There's a hotel we'll be staying in while we're here, and it's already been paid for ahead of time. Got it?"

"Aye, aye," Beast Boy and Cyborg replied.

* * *

Back in Jump City, Starfire, Raven, Terra, and Jade sat across from each other at the kitchen table, cups of ice cream in one hand, spoons in the other.

"You know this is the first time Jadey cried today?" Terra broke the silence.

"Really?" said Starfire.

Jade nodded. "Growing up, I was taught to show no emotion, because it showed weakness to my enemies. But I guess my hormones got the best of me because Speedy is the only person I've ever _really_ cared about." She rose her spoon to her mouth.

"Amen to that," said Raven, raising her cup to Jade, who nodded back at her.

"Raven?"

"Mm?"

Starfire bit her lip. "I've been meaning to ask you this sooner, but..." She lightly blushed, and Raven started smirking.

"In case you're wondering, Beast Boy went with me to the bookstore while you and Robin...you know." Raven fought back a mischievous, dark giggle.

Terra dropped her spoon. "You and Robin did what now?!"

Starfire blushed deeper. "W-Well..."

"OMG, Starfire and Robin done done the deed," Jade threw her head back in laughter, hand up halfway. "Oh. SHIT."

After one look exchanged with her friends, Starfire burst out into laughter with the girls. Even Raven was giggling, and she was trying to stop herself.

"Well?" Terra leaned across the table, "How was it?"

"Um...well, you know how I've told you all that I was...raped when I was younger?" Starfire began; and yes, now her closest girlfriends knew as well, for they all nodded. "I, um...guess that helped? I hope I am making the sense."

"Sooo he was a virgin?" Jade asked next.

Starfire nodded.

"Aww you were his first!" Jade cooed. "That's so sweet..."

"I wish he were mine as well..." Starfire tapped her index fingers together. "But on the intimacy level, he was...my first..." She sighed. "He was so...and the whole experience was so..."

"I don't wanna know the details," Raven interjected, holding up her hand, and the other three giggled.

"I am...going to miss him...and our other teammates and friends as well," Starfire said sadly, tearing up again.

The sight of her tears made Jade and Terra tear up too; Raven mysteriously wiped her eyes.

"I...I brought a few chick flicks," Terra croaked. "If you guys wanna..."

The girls nodded.

"That would be lovely, friend," Starfire said, voice weak and wavering, and they all got to their feet.

"I'll get the DVDs," said the blonde.

"I'll get the snacks," said the assasiness.

"I'll get the blankets," said the empath.

"And I-I'll get th-the tissues!" said the alieness.

* * *

Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Kid Flash, Speedy, Aqualad, and Jericho walked into the hotel, luggages in hand. Robin led of course, expression impassive as they walked up to the front desk. Robin leaned in towards the lady behind the desk, lowering his voice.

"Reservations for," he lowered his sunglasses, "Grayson."

The lady nodded, "Right...Right, yes. A party for...seven, correct, Mr. Grayson?" she asked quietly.

"That's right."

She typed up a few things before giving him a set of keys. "Here you go. Deluxe suite on the top floor. I hope you and your friends enjoy your stay here, Mr. Grayson."

Robin nodded back and took the keys. "Thanks, Ms. DeLisle."

As they all squeezed into the elevator, Beast Boy asked, "Who is she?"

"Old family friend," Robin answered. "Works with Bruce on occasion."

"Oh okay."

Reaching the top floor, his teammates noticed that there was only one door in the long hallway, and it was on the left side. On the right side was made of glass.

Unlocking the door, he let the boys in first, pausing as he smirked.

"Three...two...one...-"

"OH MY GOD!"

Robin chuckled slightly before stepping inside. Just about everything in there was brightly colored, mostly white. To the right was a floor to ceiling window with an amazing view of the city. To the left, in the farther back corner, was a kitchen. In the center of the room was a group of plush couches, with a chandelier above, and a big flatscreen TV implanted in the wall next to the door. Down the hallway were three bedrooms, one with three beds and a bathroom, one with two beds and a bath, and another two beds and bath. Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg would room together in the first, Speedy and Aqualad in the second, and Kid Flash and Jericho in the third.

After unpacking, Robin was the last to enter the den.

"Yo, Rob," said Kid Flash, leaning against the window. "I'm gettin' kinda hungry. When are we gonna eat?"

Robin sighed. If they were going to be spot on and efficient tonight, they needed a good meal. He pointed without looking up from the hologram he held. "There's the menu for room service. Number's on the back. Go crazy."

"SWEET!" Kid Flash, Beast Boy, and Cyborg rushed for the menu that lay on the coffee table.

"Okay, I guess we can eat..." said Aqualad, walking up to the group, wanting to look too. "Just as long as you guys don't eat seafood in front of me."

"Oh grow some and deal," said Speedy with a roll of his eyes, skimming through the appetizers and main dishes.

Jericho smiled in amusement, peering over Kid Flash's shoulder.

"Don't worry, dude," Beast Boy clapped Aqualad on his shoulder. "We can always eat somewhere else."

Robin left the room, heading for his bedroom, opening the door while closing the hologram and putting it in his pocket. Closing the door behind himself, he made his way over to the desk, plopping himself down in the rolling chair. With a sigh and a single stroke through his hair with his fingers, he opened his laptop and refreshed the tabs he had saved.

"Latest activity..." he murmured, "Downtown, place of headquarters unknown...Run-down...cronies are normally spotted with a mysterious S insignia on their jackets, or have a tattoo on their necks...Hooded figures with specific uniforms...No robots. Hm."

He clicked around some more, recording his research down.

The door opened a little while later, Beast Boy bounding in the room with two plates in his hand. "Hey, Rob!" he called as he entered.

"Yo," Robin called back, exiting out the tabs as he turned around, taking the plate with the meat on it. "Thanks."

"No prob," Beast Boy said through chews of his french fries. "What're you up to?"

"Getting some last minute research in," said Robin. "Turns out that he's got gangs working for him. And we're gonna find out their hiding places tonight."

"We actually get some action tonight?" Beast Boy's eyes brightened.

Robin nodded.

"Haha, sweet!" Beast Boy sat down on his bed. "And speaking of getting some action..."

Robin's face fell. "Don't start."

"Why not?" The changeling lounged back. "My girlfriend's an empath and my ears are the most sensitive out of the five of us. There's no question in my mind. I know why Raven wanted to go to the bookstore all of a sudden." He smirked. "C'mon, talk to me."

"No."

"Either you talk to me-for now anyway-or I can get Cyborg and Kid Flash in here and-"

"Okay, okay, fine!" Robin's cheeks turned pink. "What do you wanna know?"

Beast Boy chuckled darkly.

* * *

Starfire wiped at her moist eyelids as she made her way back to her bedroom. It was getting late, and the girls were running out of the Kleenex. But as soon as her door slid closed behind her, she broke down. Sinking to her knees, she let the tears flow and drown her.

It hasn't even been a day, and already she was missing him as if they had been a year apart. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she do this? Why was this already so hard? Why didn't she have a box of the earthly chocolate? Why...?-

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Lifting her head, blinking the remaining tears away, she saw her laptop beeping. Someone was calling her via transmission. "Huh...?"

* * *

Raven entered her room, and with a wave of her hand, it closed shut behind her. She looked around, her eyes unfortunately falling on the giant chicken Beast Boy had won her the night they met Blackfire, sitting in the corner. Oh Azar, she hated that thing. But at the same time, her eyes began to well up, her fists balling up as she maintained some composure.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Raven's eyes flickered forward, to where her laptop lay on her bed.

The two ladies crossed their rooms, Starfire wiping her face and Raven tucking a strand behind her ear as she climbed in the bed.

Simultaneously, they both accepted their calls with a press of a button.

* * *

Starfire gasped, hands covering her mouth as she beamed behind them. "Greetings."

* * *

Raven's eyes widened, feeling a smile pull at the corners of her mouth. "Hey..."

* * *

**Hmmm, I wonder who called them xD **

**Around the end, in my head I pictured it as a little montage (and there's another one coming up in the next chappie), that wherever the page break line was, the scene switches, and there's that dramatic music playing in the background xP Iono...**

**I'm sorry if this chapter sucked xP I particularly didn't like it...but oh well! We get some more Titan boy badassness in the next chappie. Thanks so much for helping me reach the big 200! Wow...:)**

**Let's make a deal! You review, I update. 'Kay? :) **


	27. Scoping Out The Thugs

**222 reviews? Wow! You guys are amazing! Thanks so much X3 Love you guys!**

**Keep it up! The more you review, the faster I update(;**

* * *

Robin smiled back. "Hi there." It felt so good to see her face. As he observed closely, he noticed she was fighting back more tears. _How long had she been crying?_ "How are you?"

"I-I'm fine!" Starfire clutched at her racing heart. "Oh X'Hal...it is so wonderful to see you! Are you well? Did you make it to your location o-kay? You are unharmed?"

He chuckled. "Yes, yes, and yes. We're at a hotel right now. Going to do some undercover work and patrolling in another two hours. Everything okay back home?"

"Yes. Friends Terra and Jade had arrived shortly after your departure. It appears that they, too, are having the missing feelings. Is it...unacceptable that I have the missing feeling for you already?"

"No, you're not alone there. I miss you too. Guess that's a good thing-that we're apart."

She tilted her head to the side. "I do not understand..."

"Have you ever heard of the expression, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'?"

"I believe so..."

He waited patiently until she got it, snapping her fingers.

"Oh! Well then I hope you will not return for a long period of time!...Safely of course!" she tried.

He laughed once more. "Oh God I love you."

* * *

"Hiya," Beast Boy smiled cheekily. "Wassup?"

"Nothing, I guess..."

"Then why does it look like you've been crying?"

Raven winced, absentmindedly brushing her hair in front of one eye. "I haven't been crying."

Beast Boy arched an eyebrow. "Really."

"Yes, now _drop it,_" Raven snarled, barely scratching the surface of irritation.

"Okay okay," he held his hands up. "My bad. I didn't mean to...-"

"I know," she interjected with a sigh. "You're over-observant because you care." She even offered a little smile, hugging her knees.

He grinned. "So what's goin' on? Must be quiet without me and Cy there."

"Even though that is true, Terra is a close second."

"Terra?"

"She and Jade came by after you left. They're staying here for...a while."

"How long is 'a while'?"

"I don't know, but they look like they're not leaving any time soon. I wouldn't blame them. With Bee gone, and Jinx and Kole...Things just aren't the same. Everything's out of balance."

"Well don't worry, Rae. We're gonna get to the bottom of this, and we're gonna get the girls back, safe and sound."

"I hope so."

"Yeah..." Beast Boy crossed his fingers, unnoticed by the empath. "Me too..." he whispered.

* * *

After the transmissions were cut, Robin stood up and stretched, and Beast Boy came back from outside, followed in their room by Cyborg.

The look on Robin's face was self-explanatory.

"So what's the plan?" asked Cyborg with a serious look.

"Suit up?" Beast Boy added.

Robin shook his head slightly, a mysterious glint in his eyes. "Not quite..."

Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged glances.

::.::

Robin emerged from the bathroom, white towel clung to his hips. His two other teammates barely acknowledged him as they got dressed. He let his hair air dry before putting on his clothes for the night-and this time, all the guys had to wear black and include some form of hood. For the Teen Wonder, it was a tee, a cotton jacket with a hood, a leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers; his sleeves sheathed weapons underneath them, and to top it off, black sunglasses. The changeling wore a muscle tee, a graphic jacket with short sleeves and hood, fingerless gloves, skinny jeans, and black and purple sneakers. The half-robot had on the same outfit he wore when he first met the Titans, but his sweatshirt was black instead of grey. The archer wore a tank top, a sleeveless hoodie, jeans, sneakers, a fingerless glove, and sunglasses. The Atlantian wore a long-sleeved shirt, a leather jacket hoodie, jeans, fingerless gloves, and sneakers. The speedster wore a graphic tank, a leather jacket, a skull cap, skinny jeans, and converse. The mute wore a tee, a sleeveless jacket, skinny jeans, a beanie, an arm warmer, and sneakers.

They all met in the middle of the den.

"Here," Robin said, handing Cyborg and Beast Boy hologram rings. The half-robot and changeling slid the rings on their fingers, Cyborg's robotic parts disappearing and Beast Boy's skin loosing its green. "We'll be able to blend in better."

The two nodded.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do," said Robin. "Five gangs of Slade cronies are scattered around the city. It's our job to find out their motives, but we have to be discrete. Don't move, don't attack until I give the say so. If you use your powers, use them to an extent. Let the darkness help you, it'll assist in making us look more mysterious. Other than that, follow your instincts, especially if you can use your powers without moving a muscle. Are we clear on the plan?"

The six nodded.

He nodded back. "Alright, Titans. Let's go."

* * *

The night was crystal clear, and as usual, the city of New York rose from the dead, coming alive with neon lights, clubbers, partiers, and muggers. Dozens of taxis carried packed, drunk bodies through Times Square.

A rundown restaurant turned thug corner, with a crooked and flickering neon letter A, was in one of the bad parts of New York. Cronies that hung around there always carried beer and a pistol or some form of weapon, and dressed alike. Anyone that posed a threat or was just unlucky to be around will suffer with a blade to the stomach or a bullet to the head. Any form of female was treated with unmentionables.

"Hey there, pretty thaaang," one of the guys slurred as two of his men threw a blonde at his feet. He lifted her off the cold ground, shoving her up against the wall. "How you doin'?"

The girl sobbed, gasping in fear.

"Aw, don't cry..." he crooned, pulling a pocket knife out of his pocket. It opened with a _ sslt! _"We're just gonna have a little _fun_ with ya!"

The front door was suddenly kicked down, and everyone looked up, eyes narrowing as seven hooded figures swaggered in the pub, led by a guy with spikey hair.

"Mind if we join the party?" he asked.

The thug leader raised an eyebrow. "Who you?"

"You don't need to know." He grabbed a beer bottle from a cronie who was in the midst of lifting the bottle to his mouth, and downed it himself.

"Hey!"

"This beer is bitter," said the hooded young man, throwing the bottle to his left, where it shattered against the wall. The thugs stiffened, fists balling and muscles flexing.

"Alright, that's it, smartass!" said the lead thug. "Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing in my club?"

"Oh this is _your_ club? Sorry, I forgot to sign up."

A growl emitted from the older man.

"Lemme ask you something then," the boy continued, and with a snap of his fingers and jerk of the head, the blonde mute of the group grabbed the head thug and shoved him hard against the wall. The girl gasped, and the boy with eyes as black as night gave her a quick shove out the door. Each thug in the room flew to their feet, but their leader just waved it off. "You like hitting on women? Huh?" His teeth gritted. "Does your boss like it when women are treated as toys?"

"What boss? _I_ run this place. G.Q. don't work for nobody!"

"G.Q., huh? Nice name. Did you know that was a double negative?"

Silence.

Joseph's hands disappeared, but as G.Q.'s feet hit the floor, Dick's foot was at his throat.

"Now I'm only gonna ask you this once..." Dick's voice was deadly calm. "Who. Do you. Work. For."

"Kiss my ass," G.Q. spat.

The ghost of a smile pulled at Dick's face as he slowly removed his foot. "Don't make me laugh..." Just as G.Q. puffed out his chest, Dick's foot veered back then swung across his face, knocking the thug out cold. "Seriously, don't." He looked around the room, fists loosely balled up. "Now that you don't have a leader, you dumbfucks wanna tell me who you work for?"

"What's it to you, punkass?" one spoke up, raising a fist. "We know nothin', an' we ain't sayin' nothin'!"

"You're right about the first part," Garfield pointed out, and the thug roared and ran for him. Garfield grabbed the man's fist, twisted it around, then put his foot out so the thug would trip underneath him. That same foot planted on his back. "Now I'm more of a literal kind of guy. So when I do this-" Gar grabbed the thug's free arm and turned him into a human pretzel-"it literally means that I will break your shit off if you ever touch me again. M'kay, pumpkin?"

The thug groaned in pain, and Victor kicked him towards the wall.

"Any other takers?" Dick asked rhetorically. No one spoke. "Aw, come on. We're all friends here." An inconspicuous look was exchanged between him and another one of his men. With a nod, Garth turned his palm forward, slightly twisting his hand counterclockwise. The pipes within the walls began to moan and slacken against the swelling water inside. The thugs looked around, suspicion as well as fear rising within them but they masked it with anger. "Tell us exactly who you work for and no one gets hurt."

"What _you_ gon' do?" another asked, slapping a crowbar repeatedly to his palm.

Dick, Garfield, and Victor smirked at the same time. Garth's hand snapped into a fist, and water burst from the pipes. The Atlantian's movements became fluid, quick, and loose as the water flooded the room and swallowed the thugs hole. His friends moved closer to him as he provided a whirling water shield. Any thug who attempted to penetrate it was knocked across the room mercilessly. With a simple, wave-like thrust of his arm and hand, Garth sent the thugs out of the club in one strong wave current.

"Check for tattoos," Dick instructed, and the boys nodded, the seven of them splitting up as they searched the unconscious cronies. Dick pulled the collar down of one, finding a tattoo of a yin yang symbol, but instead with orange, black, and silver-Slade colors. Garfield emptied out the pockets and found addresses, phone numbers, and cash-which the changeling took while looking around to make sure no one's watching; but Victor caught him and shook his head with pursed lips. Wally found a cell phone and Joseph found a round metal sphere that contained a hologram inside. Garth and Roy both took DNA samples such as stray hair and saliva samples. "We good to go?" Dick asked after checking the last one.

"All good," Garfield and Victor replied in unison.

"Damn, they were the most stubbornest ones yet!" Garfield exclaimed. "I mean, c'mon! We all know who ya work for."

"They're thugs, what do you expect?" said Wally.

"Whatever, c'mon," said Dick, dragging a thug by his foot. "Let's take out the trash."

* * *

The last gang they cracked for the night were hanging out behind a building, in an empty parking lot. There was graffiti and the smell of marijuana in the air.

"Hey, look who's here for some trouble!" said one, and they all drew their pocket knives, pistols, and crowbars.

"How _stupid_ can they _get_?" Roy muttered.

"They want a fight?" Dick shrugged out of his leather jacket. "Let's give 'em one."

Victor grinned. "Fine by me."

Garfield cracked his knuckles. "You and me both, Vic."

The good and the bad collided, Dick throwing the first punch and sending the thug to the ground; being the protege and former acrobat he was, he fought like he did as Robin but without his staff. Garfield slid under one's legs, nailing him in the balls, then chest; his sparring, of course, was more animalistic than his allies, but he didn't phase or else they'd bust their cover. Victor used his size and strength as his friend; he elbowed thugs in the nose, kneed them in the groins, headlocked and headbutted, and delivered powerful blows. Roy and Garth fought back to back, using each other as support for delivering combos, shields, and even as weapons themselves. Wally was having his fun, using his speed; his dodges were nearly a blur, and when he punched and/or kicked, no one saw it coming.

Joseph was being chased, but that was his plan. He ran across the lot, and with an intake of breath, he ran up the wall, leaving his enemies hanging. Pushing himself off when he was high enough with his feet, he did a somersault, coming out of his flip with fists extended; the two thugs chasing him came in contact headfirst with thunder and lightning as he landed, and they fell down with identical grunts. The mute shook his hands a bit, feeling the pain sting from their hard heads, and moved on to his next target.

While in the midst of his fighting, Dick was oblivious to the thug approaching him with a crowbar, and fell to the ground after a painful blow to the head. Garfield immediately flew, no pun intended, to his friend's aid and jumped, performing a roundhouse kick; the thug staggered back as the crowbar fell to the ground, and Victor pushed the thug from behind with a powerful force. Finishing the attack, Dick grabbed the thug by the head and banged it against the wall.

The thug was out cold, and the three did their handshake before moving on to the next ones.

"Comin' in hot!" Wally knocked a thug down with his legs, straddling him. The thug was about to get up, only to be knocked down repeatedly by Wally's comically fast punches. He stopped when he saw a bloody nose and grinned, but cursed as he was punched in the face. Wally held his own nose and mouth, being sure to give a hard kick to the nuts as he flew to his feet.

"That's what you get for being cocky," Roy called out to him.

Wally never took his eyes off the other ginger as he punched an approaching thug, knocking him out. "Shut up, man!"

Joseph fought a smile.

Dick threw his last black birdarang, which electrocuted the person it came in contact with. He was soon surrounded by a new group thugs, backing into the changeling. They pretty much came out of nowhere.

"Easy! I was just...um..." Garfield said while tapping Dick's shoulder, then turned around and gripped Dick by the shirt. "Dude! _Why didn't you tell me this man rolls like this?!"_

"I told you he did!" Dick snapped back.

"No you didn't!"

"I did!"

"What you say?"

"I said _this_," Dick scrunched up his lips.

"What do _'this'_ mean, dude, speak English to me!"

"That means, I go that way," he moved his lips to the left, "and you go this way."

"I go that way and you go this way?" Gar jerked his head to the right and left.

"Mhmm."

Beast Boy's eyes widened as he got it, nodding simultaneously with the Teen Wonder, and they switched places to deliver nose-breaking punches. Then, grabbing hands, they switched sides again while kicking their legs.

Eventually, all of the cronies were defeated. And by the time the boys stopped to look around, they found a thug falling to the heap of bodies from Dick's foot, and Gar made an unnecessary karate sound as his last target fell over into the heap of bodies as well.

"Ya'll done?" Victor asked while fighting back laughter.

Dick and Garfield exchanged glances before sheepishly nodding.

"I don't believe that more than I'd believe BB'll eat meat, but okay. Let's get what we need to get and get out of here," Vic said, and police sirens were heard in the distance. "I don't wanna be on Cops!"

* * *

**If you caught the Hitch and Rush Hour 2 references, then you are very smart xD I decided to add a little humor in there. Hope you liked it. It's been a while since I've written some sort of action scene.**

**Oh, and by the way, my 222nd reviewer:**

**I _don't_ neglect my teen titans fanfics, and I _do_ care, thank you very much. I _don't_ make excuses, and FYI the whole parents-took-away-my-laptop is so four months ago. I have my own tablet so when I'm not doing anything, I'm always working on my fanfics, teen titans or not. And relax, honey. It's only been a week and two days since my last update. Calm down. You wanna stop reading and reviewing my fanfics if I don't update fast enough for you? Pssh okay.**

**That is all :) The rest of you guys, feel free to review!**


	28. Hurry Up And Save Me

**What it do, homies?! XD**

**First off, I'd like to say that your feedback made me feel real giddy! I come back to see my reviews went from 222-271!**

**And before you ask, reviewer 222-let me quote Cyborg and Beast Boy by saying...**

**For the hundreth millionth time...I FORGIVE YOU!**

**Honestly, it's okay. You don't have to review a dozen times to get my attention. Although I think it would be better if I actually knew your name. 222 sounds like a code or something xP**

**Alright, everyone! We've been-ahem, as in me and my female readers-drowning in testosterone and boy power.**

**So how 'bout a little sum sum for the girls? I mean, slight spoiler, the boys aren't the only ones who got that power XD**

* * *

Terra took in a deep breath, hands clasped together as if in prayer, bringing them down to her chest; her left foot lifted and bent, bare foot pressing against her right leg. Her peachy skin soaked in the rising sun's rays.

"Mind if I join you?"

Terra nodded without opening her eyes, focusing entirely on her balance. Raven gave the blonde her space, sitting in the lotus position and levitated in place, her own eyes closing as she began mediating.

Terra continued her yoga, shifting from one move to another. She took this time to practice her flexibility.

Raven, after she and Terra finished their morning activities, headed down to the island with her so they can continue their lessons.

Raven had to admit that Terra was greatly improving.

"You know," said Terra as she made a rockslide, "you're the best teacher ever-even Slade had nothing on you."

Raven nodded. "Thanks." She almost felt smug.

"I heard you beat 'em up one time," Terra took off her shoes, letting her feet get buried in the soft, fresh dirt; she also pulled her sweats up to her knees. "Wish I woulda been around to see that."

"Yeah, you miss a lot of stuff when you spend almost a year as a rock," Raven said, then instructed, "Spread your feet out more for balance so your stance wouldn't be as awkward."

"Gotcha."

"Question?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you take off your shoes when we practice?"

"Would you think I'm crazy if I told you I feel more one with the earth?"

Raven briefly pondered that. "I guess that makes sense. Whatever works for you. Let's see your flying."

"Alright." Terra took a few steps back before taking off into a run. Slow at first, but gradually building as she reached the edge of the rocks; her hands and eyes began to glow.

Throwing her hands out, two small rocks about the size of her palm appeared, hovering a few feet above the water. Terra jumped, hands clamping around the rocks and she swung herself forward. Hands thrusting downward, a boulder came underneath her, and she landed on her feet.

She flew around for a bit, circling around the Tower a few times before coming back around.

"How's that?" Terra called.

"Good!" Raven called back, her own hands powering up in dark energy. "Let's work on your defense." Her eyes glowed white as she levitated in the air. "Use the earth around you. Let it become a part of you. Don't be afraid. I think that was your problem before."

Terra nodded. "Go!"

Raven's surroundings encased in her dark energy, breaking off into clumps of weapons. Terra bent her knees, fingers twitching with anticipation.

Raven started out small, throwing different shaped rocks at her. Terra would either dodge, or use her boulder to block the empath's attacks.

"Get ready!" Raven called to her suddenly, and all of a sudden, a big water tentacle rose from the ocean and was sent straight for the blonde.

Taken off guard, Terra did a somersault, rolling once on the ground; as she came up, so did her hands, and a rock shield shot out of the ground just in time for the water to make its splash, pun intended.

Shield down, Terra got to her feet, and Raven raised another rock; with simple movements of her fingers, the rock began to shred into sharp, deadly shards, blades coming to a point.

Raven held back a smirk as she sent one after another and another.

But Terra wasn't having that. She did the matrix, bending back, arms rolling like wheels. Coming around on her left, she swerved her hands, sending the attack back to the empath.

Raven conjured a shield, but the force had her backing away and eventually she stumbled back on her feet.

Both girls were now breathing heavily, Terra waiting and Raven thinking.

"Good," Raven finally said, panting.

"Yes!" Terra squealed before running over to Raven and hugging her tight. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"You're welcome. But if you don't get your dirty hands off me, I'll send you to another dimension."

Terra pulled back and gasped, mouth open as she appeared offended, then raised her hands to eye level. "Oh. Right. Sorry."

"Eh, it's alright. When you're training..." Raven removed the mud from her cloak with a sweep of her hand. "things tend to get dirty."

"Amen to that, sister."

"Friends!" The two looked up to see Starfire coming out with Jade not far behind, both carrying trays; Starfire had beverages and Jade had food. "We have seen you training-"

"-And thought you guys might be hungry?" Jade finished, proudly presenting donuts.

"YES. PLEASE!" Terra said, grabbing a smoothie and glazed donut with sprinkles. "Thanks so much!"

"I normally don't drink smoothies but..." Raven's voice trailed off as Starfire happily handed her a purple and blue looking beverage. "Is...is that what I think this is?" She nearly snatched it and the alieness giggled as she watched her best friend drink greedily from the swirly straw.

"Indeed! The mixture of berries in a swirling formation! Just how you like it!" Starfire beamed.

The four girls lounged on the island as they ate breakfast, as well as doing the usual things they would normally do at that time; Raven read a book, this time of spells; Jade sharpened her weapons as well as cleaned them; Terra skipped rocks; and Starfire kept conversations going by keeping the mood light.

Since the boys called, the tense atmosphere lifted quite a bit . But they all still worried on the inside.

"What if the boys need us?" Jade spoke up after some peaceful silence. Raven looked up from her book, Terra stopped skipping pebbles, the last one sinking in the water with a plop, and Starfire looked up from her cell phone. Jade even paused shining her knives. "I mean, at some point they will, right?"

They all exchanged glances before nodding.

"I'm just saying, " Jade continued. "What if they do? I know I'm new to this hero thing, but...shouldn't we have an emergency plan or something?"

For some reason, the former villianesses and empath looked over at the alieness.

"I...suppose, yes," Starfire said. When no one said anything, she was wondering what to say next.

"Well?" said Jade.

"What do we do, Starfire?" Terra asked.

Starfire looked at Raven, who just shrugged and hid a smile. The alieness got to her feet.

_Do...do my friends want me to lead them?_

* * *

Kole woke up to the feeling of being tapped on the cheek.

And it wasn't friendly.

Her eyes fluttered open, and tried to move, but found herself strapped to an opperation table. Like the other prisoners, the only thing covering her was a worn out, little white dress, ripped in areas from beatings.

"Hello, sweetheart," Slade greeted, standing in his usual stance; tall, intimidating, and arms behind his back.

Kole groaned. "Oh...you again." She closed her eyes again. "Can't you just kill me already and get it over with?"

"I'm afraid we all can't get what we want," Slade gripped her chin, and she jerked it away. He smirked. "Not yet."

"W-What do you want? Why am I in here?" She fought against her restraints, but the more she moved, the tighter the metal seemed to contract around her skin.

Jinx's screams causes Kole to cringe and then sob. "Doctors" were surrounding the enchantress, hiding her from Kole's sight. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO JINX? WHERE'S BUMBLE BEE?!" She tried to transform into ice-for what felt like the thousandth time-and once again failed.

Kole was recieved with a slap, her cheek already forming a permanent, nasty bruise where Slade would always hit her.

"Oh, just a few...tests..." Slade said over Bee's screams from the other room. Slade was joined by a few of his masked cronies, sliding a white glove on his hand and letting it snap almost suggestively against the end of his palm. "Looks like it's your lucky day."

Tears streamed down the young girl's face. "No! Please!" she sobbed.

"Don't worry..." Slade picked up a syringe, and Kole couldn't stop him from forcing her legs apart. "I just want to take a few samples...Who knows? By the time I'm through with you, you'll be better than before..." There was another smile in his voice. "C'mon, sweetie...I want to make sure you're in good conditions for my son...You'd do this for Jericho, wouldn't you?"

Kole's eyes widened, more tears flowing.

The thought of the blonde mute only made her resist more.

But of course, Slade overpowered her, and her screams were as loud as Jinx's. Both girls were eventually sedated.

* * *

The next time Kole came to, she was back in her cell, but she wasn't alone. She heard soft sobbing and sat up, not surprised to find restraints around her wrists like handcuffs.

"Bumble Bee?"

Bee cringed.

Kole got to her feet, her tiny body crossing the room so she could be by her friend.

"What's wrong?" Kole asked.

Bumble Bee clutched at the back of her shoulder, still not turning. "They...they..."

"They what?"

"M-My wings..." she whispered brokenly. "T-They cut off my w-wings!"

Kole's eyes welled up, wishing she could embrace her. "A-And Jinx?"

Bumble Bee shook her head, tears flowing freely. "Th-They still have her!"

"Aw, will you two shut up?!" The two looked up to find two people standing in the now open doorway. One was a pretty, but prissy blonde girl, the other a tall and dark guy. "You're such babies! When are you gonna suck it up?!"

"Easy, Kitten," said Malchior, a sinister smile forming upon his lips. "They'll get what's coming soon. Then we won't have to listen to their pathetic pouting..."

Kitten sighed. "Fine." She shut the door. "Take me shopping?"

"Ask someone who cares."

"Dick."

"Whore."

"Dragon shit."

"Bitch."

"Cock sucker."

"Slut."

"Wanna make out?"

"Walk away."

"...Okay."

* * *

Jinx's eyes were glazed over, head faced away from the others as they did their worst. She didn't feel it. Couldn't. The pain had been too much, it switched her whole nervous system off.

A tear fell down her cheek as a certain redhead appeared in her thoughts.

_"You're an idiot!" Jinx screeched and huffed, arms crossed stubbornly._

_Kid Flash grinned anyway, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "I know." He kissed her on the cheek, and she giggled, squealing his name in protest as he pulled them down on the couch._

_He kissed her cheek again, and she turned her head so their lips could meet._

_"Wanna watch people like me make a fool of themselves but get caught on tape doing it?"_

_Jinx smiled and cuddled into his side, the two getting comfortable. "Why not?"_

Another tear escaped the opposite eyelid.

_Jinx screamed, sitting upright, hand clutching her chest. A knock on her bedroom window made her jump and tense up, eyes pink._

_But she relaxed when it was just Wally, sitting outside with that stupid smile on his face, as if he didn't mind he was being soaked in the rainpour._

_She leaped out of bed and immediately pushed her window up to let him in her small apartment. "What the HELL are you doing here at this time of night?!"_

_"I came to check on you," he told her simply. Her angry mood was then replaced by a timid one. "Another nightmare?"_

_Jinx hung her head. "You saw?"_

_"Yeah. You okay?"_

_"I'M A GREY SKINNED FREAK WITH PINK CAT EYES AND HAIR TO MATCH, AND WHEREVER I GO, BAD LUCK FOLLOWS!" Jinx then began to sob. "WHEN IS MY LIFE EVER GONNA BE OKAY, WAL?!"_

_"Just as long as I'm here." Wally caressed her face, and she collapsed in his arms to let it all out. One arm wrapped around her waist, the other running through her hair. "I'll be here for you, Jin, for as long as I live. Together or not, I don't go a day without thinking about you."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yes," he hugged her fiercely. "I know how hard this is for you, being new to the hero life and all, but I'll be with you for every step of the way."_

_"You promise?"_

_He kissed her. "Yes." He wiped the stray tears from her face, and she smiled. "You're normally not this moody..." He eyed her expectantly._

_"I...kinda got my period a few hours ago," Jinx admitted. _

_Wally chuckled. "Figured that. I stopped by the store to get you some tampons, Snickers, and a heating pad."_

_She gasped. "Really?"_

_"Yes."_

_She gasped again. "Aw, Wal!"_

_"Want me to cuddle with you until you fall asleep again?"_

_Jinx nodded almost childishly, lips jutting out in a pout. "Will you also stay and sub my tummy?"_

_Wally smiled and kissed her forehead. "Yes."_

_"Yay."_

_"And I'm sorry for getting you all..."_

_"Yeah, I'm gonna change into something more comfortable." She smiled mischievously._

_"Ooh, mind if I play the monkey?"_

_"Knock yourself out." She smirked. "Strip down, speedster."_

The smallest of smiles pulled at Jinx's lips. She didn't care what her relationship status was with Wally. But she knew in her heart that he would never give up on her. She told herself that hope wasn't completely lost. That she would endure however many more days until they were reunited again. She knew he was looking for her. The other Titans were probably searching for all of them right now!

They had to be...because no one, not even Slade, could convince her otherwise. She was tougher than the other...prisoners. Even Bee, who was one of the strongest girls Jinx knew. But she saw Bumble Bee being dragged out of the area with a bloody backside.

They were gonna get out. Someday...

_And sometime soon, I hope..._

_Oh, Wally, I'm so sorry for what I said...I should have trusted you. I love you so much. Just please...hurry up and save me._

* * *

"...but until that happens, we won't be needed," Starfire finished, finding herself leading the way a lot, including now as the girls walked in the Ops the following afternoon.

"Wisely put," said Raven.

"Yes, ma'am!" Jade and Terra exclaimed, making Starfire giggle and clap.

"So what now?" Terra asked, plopping herself down on the couch between Jade and Raven; she rested her head on Jade's lap and legs on Raven's. "We just did a patrol around the city, which not to mention has been quieter since...you know."

"Great leading skills, by the way," Jade complimented.

Starfire beamed. "Really? You think? Well, when you follow a glorious leader such as Robin, the habits of his do the rubbing off on me."

"Yes, but I can see the difference," Raven noted. "Robin is cold, collecting, and organized. You're warm, spontaneous, and free. But then again, that's how you both are personality-wize. I can get accustomed to both."

"Same," said Terra.

"I third that," said Jade. "If that makes any sense..."

"I appreciate your sincerity, friends!" Starfire clasped her hands together. "I have been doing the thinking during our outing, and I believe that just because our significant others are not with us at the moment, that does not mean that we should sit on our grebnacks from sunrise to moonset! We shall protect the city at all costs until they return!"

"Preaaaaach!" Terra sang.

"We withold the feelings for our fellow Titans, but that does not mean that we have the incompleteness!" Starfire continued confidently.

"Uh huuuuuuuh," Jade sang as Raven played the church tune on a random keyboard.

"We are **not** _rutha_!"

"Mhmmmm!"

"Us Titanesses shall do what is right, and will let no male earthling step over us like gorkaberries!"

"Uh huuuuuuuh!"

"We shall stick together through it all, no matter what trouble comes in our way!"

"Uh huuuuuuuh!"

The alarm went off, and Starfire stopped her speech to check what it was. "Titans, it appears there is trouble! Robbery downtown by the Control Freak!"

"Mhmmmm!"

"Okay, you can stop now," Terra interjected, and Jade giggled; Raven put the keyboard away and got to her feet.

"Fear not, we can do the taking of this villain!" Starfire said, authority ringing in her voice as she yelled the familiar battle cry, "Titans, go!"

* * *

**Many of you wanted to know what was going on with Kole, Bee, and Jinx, so I slipped those scenes in. Other than that, the chapter was actually pretty light. Raven and Terra train together, and Starfire might have taken on the leader role? **

**Is this possibly foreshadowing events in the future? Mmm, we'll see ;D**

**I had to add Starfire's version of preaching, and Terra and Jade egging it on with their 'Uh huuuuuuuh's and 'Mhmmmm's, just for a few laughs XDD**

**I had to admit, this chapter is full of mixed feelings. I mean, you have Raven and Terra actually having a healthier companionship, Starfire taking on the leader role, Kole and Jinx getting 'tested' on, Bee's wings getting 'removed', then Kitten and Malchior's bickering, then Jinx's memories and numb pain, and then I end it with a preaching from an alieness, and that same alieness closes the chapter with, "Titans, go!"**

**Man...what a mouthful.**

**Anyways, review! :) **


	29. The Interrogation

**Heyo! As I'm writing this introduction, I'm just letting you know that I am very moody and I hate it because I'm not myself.**

**But, alas, hopefully I'll be feeling better by the time I get to the bottom. Writing normally helps me escape.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews, keep them coming :) I know, some of you-or all of you-are getting antsy and angsty about Bee, Jinx, and Kole, and the Titans reuniting with their Titanesses. Don't worry.**

**I won't keep you guys waiting for long.**

* * *

"Hehehehehehe," Control Freak snickered as he stuffed his bag full of cash and videos. The store alarm was blaring.

The front doors burst open, encased in dark energy before exploding, and four female heroes barged in. One was leading them, starbolts lit. Next to her was a dark girl with white eyes and black hands. On the other side was an Asian girl in green, shuriken in each hand, a black covering wrapped around the bottom half of her face. And in a crouched position, with a smirk on her face, was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, and wore a brown and yellow leotard with matching ankle boots and fingerless gloves.

"Not so fast, Control Freak!" Starfire exclaimed.

Control Freak turned around, and the girls gasped. They hadn't noticed his new appearance until now. He was slimmer-a lot slimmer-and taller. He wore his usual getup, but with the sleeves ripped off and color schemes a lot darker. It wasn't surprising that he was wearing 'manliner'-that was also normal-but his long hair was in a loose ponytail.

"Well, well, well..." Control Freak smirked, popping his knuckles-which were covered in rings-and neck. Raven spotted a Slade insignia on the inside of Freak's collar, nudging Starfire, who nodded. "If it isn't my favorite Titanesses!"

"Looks like someone finally joined a gym!" Terra stood up straight, clapping her hands, and he gave her a look.

"What do we do?" Raven whispered, low enough for Freak to miss, but also for her teammates to catch. "He obviously joined Team Slade. I can sense him anticipating our every move. We need a plan of attack."

"I have a plan," said Cheshire. "Attack."

"Think you all can beat me?" Control Freak scoffed, fishing for his remote.

"Ah, not us!" Starfire said. "Chesh, now!"

And before Control Freak could react, Cheshire threw one shuriken, then another. He was knocked back against the wall, blades tearing through the shoulders of his jacket and sticking to the wall.

Cheshire straightened out of her stance, smiling behind her mask.

"What the-? How'd you-?" he stammered stupidly.

"You've lost the battle before it even started," Raven deadpanned, hand on her hip, arm on a random shelf. "Can we go home now?"

"Momentarily," Starfire assured. "I shall do the checking out." She flew over to where Control Freak was.

"That was a short-ass fight," Terra said.

"Eh, it's a perk," said Cheshire.

Control Freak started to smile. "Hey there, cutie."

"Please do not," Starfire said snarkly, eyes narrowing. She attempted to look the intimidating like her sister, and found herself succeeding. "How long have you been working for Slade?"

"Wouldn't you wanna know, babe? Come a lil' closer and I'll tell ya."

Starfire growled, eyes lighting up, punching her hands through the wall, arms on either side of his face; she leaned in until they were nose to nose. "Now _do the sharing_."

Control Freak squeaked. "I-I barely know Boss Man!"

"THAT IS A LIE."

"I-I swear!"

Raven appeared out of nowhere, coming up from the ground, and the black orb disappeared. "He's lying."

"I am not!"

"Then why are you here when Slade and his trusted followers are in New York?"

"I...I h-have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Your heartbeat tells you otherwise."

Control Freak's eyes narrowed. "Look, demonic _bitch_," he spat, "what I do is none of your business! And you can't convince me otherwise!"

Starfire rose a fist, "HOW DARE YOU-?!"

"-No, it's okay, Star," Raven touched her arm, appearing to be very calm on the exterior. "I got it."

"Are you-?"

"-Yes. Now if you would be so kind and escort our friends and the stray employees out of here? I'd like a little word with him alone if that's alright."

Starfire got the message, smiling innocently. "Of course, friend. We shall depart immediately."

Raven smiled a little in return, and as Starfire and the others left, she stepped in front of Control Freak. Her smile faltered.

"What you gon' do?" Control Freak demanded.

Raven's eyes turned red.

All four of them.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Starfire's head flew up as Raven casually came out of the store, dragging an unconscious Control Freak by the collar.

"Okay, let's go home," Raven said.

"What are we to do with him?" Starfire asked curiously.

"You tell me."

Starfire tapped her chin. "Mm...I suppose we could take him in for questioning and find a way to arouse answers. And whatever information we obtain, I can submit them to Robin in hopes that will help their investigation!"

"Exactly what I was thinking. Here." Raven handed Starfire-

"His remote?" Starfire examined it.

"Yes."

"Mm. I believe we shall separate a bumgorf from his distractions, yes?"

"Agreed."

* * *

Starfire chewed on her lip as she paced back and forth outside the Interrogation Room; the Freak of Controls was to wake any moment now. She had been mentally preparing herself for this. It was going to be the first time for her.

She stops her pacing as an amused thought occured to her.

Robin often paced.

She smiled at the thought of him, then snapped out of it just as quickly. She had to focus! Or otherwise the villain won't take her seriously!

After peeking through the one-way window, seeing the still unconscious felon, she whimpered and took out her cell phone.

Her heart skipped beats as she heard the dial tone.

_"I was wondering when I'd hear from you again, sister,_" said another female voice from the other line. "_What, calling to see if I hadn't been a bad girl lately?"_

"Hello, sister!" Starfire said back while playing with a strand of her hair. "You are still going to your sessions of therapy, yes?"

Blackfire sighed heavily. "_Yes, **Mom**. But you know you can't fool me. You wanna ask me something so spit it out."_

Starfire looked around herself. "Very well, you have caught me with the red hands. I have...a villain in the Room of Interrogations, but I am not quite sure how to proceed. I believe he thinks of me as the easy and one who does not take anything seriously. Kom...I require your assistance."

There was a pause. "_Alright. Do you want me to just tell you what to do or come over there and talk to you in person?"_

"I am...unsure. Are you able to be trusted?"

"_Just know that I have no intentions of killing you or your friends. Good enough for you?"_

"Fair enough, indeed! See you soon!"

"_Later_."

Starfire hung up, then poked her fingers together. "Oh I hope this was a wise decision..."

* * *

Starfire opened the door, bracing herself. There, standing there in the flesh, was her older sister, Komand'r-or in English, Blackfire-wearing all black and leather. Lingering several feet behind her was Red X, who wore sunglasses to hide his eyes; Adonis, who was now past the awkward teen phase and the Puberty Gods have finally done him justice; Mammoth, who was still huge and intimidating; and a girl she did not recognize. Snow white hair, startling blue eyes, extremely long eyelashes, pale skin. All so familiar with a darkness that Starfire couldn't quite figure out.

Starfire refrained herself from showing over-affection, squaring her shoulders. "Kom."

Blackfire scoffed, managing to make a sneer and grimace attractive, "Kori."

"Would your...teammates like to-?"

"Nope. It's just me and you here. Lead the way."

Starfire nodded meekly, doing what she was told. Not wanting to run into anyone in particular, especially Raven, they took the elevator.

_Ding!_

The door opened, and Starfire suddenly jumped at who was waiting for her, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Oh! Hello, friend!" Starfire said, nervously pressing her forefingers together. "I thought you would be doing the training with Terra!"

Raven didn't smile back. "I _was_." She eyed Blackfire with suspicious eyes. "Then I sensed something was...off, so I went to go check it out. Didn't know we had company."

"Great to see you too," Blackfire said back with a dark giggle.

"Starfire, why is she here?" Raven also added before Starfire could explain, "and why is her _team _standing outside?"

"I, um, required her assistance for the interrogation," Starfire said, now playing and tugging with a strand of her hair.

"And you didn't just ask me or Cheshire? Or even Terra? You know we're pretty good with that stuff, Star."

"Yes, I am aware. I know, I did not think this through thoroughly. However, our captive knows about us, not about my sister. I intend to give this a try and see how this goes."

"And you trust her?"

"Of course. She is my sister."

The two best friends stared each other down while Blackfire watched in amusement.

"Fine. Do what you must," Raven said finally. "But just know that if she tries to pull anything over," she glared at Blackfire with demon eyes.

"I know, I know, I know. You'll use your demon magic stuff on me," Blackfire interjected impatiently. "I know who I'm up against, which is why I'm alone. Now can we just get to it already? I have plans after this."

"Follow me, Kom," Starfire said, walking passed the empath.

"Right behind you, Kor," Blackfire said back as she followed, being sure to send a smug smirk in Raven's direction.

Raven growled, then phased through the floor.

* * *

"_He_ used to be fat?" Blackfire asked, studying the villain.

Starfire sighed. "Indeed."

"Well damn!"

Starfire blinked.

"Okay, okay. The main point is to focus. Do all the things that you _wouldn't_ do. Frown, stay stiff, don't be afraid to cause pain. Get in his face."

Starfire bit her lip. "I am not sure..."

"Here, just think: what does..._Robin_ do?"

"What does...?"

"Like, what is the look on his face?"

"Well...um...I think he does something like this." Starfire's face fell, eyebrows scrunched down, teeth gritted behind her closed and pursed mouth. Her jaw became taut, angling her chin straighter.

"Good, now combine that with what I do."

Starfire squinted her doe eyes, making her look more mysterious and sneaky.

"Perfect. Now go in there and show 'em who's boss."

"What if I require your assistance?"

"You'll know. Just relax, and flatten your voice. Try also to talk as normally as you can."

"Alright..."

Squaring her shoulders, Starfire opened the door, and walked into the poorly lit room where there was only one light, beaming down on Control Freak's head. Control Freak opened his eyes, struggling against his bindings.

"Ready to talk now?"

He squinted his eyes through the shadows until a redheaded alieness stepped out of the darkness, looking completely different than she had before. And it was starting to scare him.

"U-Um..." he stammered as she came closer. "I, uh, well, um..."

She planted her hands on the table, leaning forward. "Now...I'm gonna ask you this again, and you_ better_ answer." Personal space was invaded. "What. Do. You. _Know_."

Control Freak gulped.

* * *

_SLAM._

Blackfire giggled as she watched from the other side of the window.

"OKAY! OKAY!" Control Freak grunted as Starfire grabbed him once more by the collar, slamming him against the wall for the tenth time, then letting him fall to the ground, her eyes lit. "I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK!"

Starfire smoothed out her hair, licking her dry lips, not smiling. "Good boy." She grabbed him once more, shoving him up high against the wall this time.

"I was getting what I was getting because I was on my way to New York City," Control Freak said hesitantly. "And...and..."

Starfire exerted all her Tamaranean strength.

"And I was gonna have my own room and everything when I got to Slade's secret headquarters!" He continued quickly, now talking fast. "I was gonna be another guard for the prisoners! Slade also has an air fleet with his insignia on it so that's probably where he was gonna take them for their final location but he's still remaining in that area! There's an uncharted island near the city but I-"

"How many miles?"

"I don't-"

_"How many miles?!"_ she snarled.

"I don't know, lady, really far! He hasn't given us details yet!"

Starfire nodded curtly. "Okay..." she loosened her grip and sighed. Control Freak sighed in relief as he was back on his feet.

But then that was when she grabbed him by the hair and banged his head against the wall, causing the villain to fall at an unconscious heap at her feet. She wiped her mouth with her finger slyly as she sauntered out of the room. Blackfire looked pleasantly surprised.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Starfire deadpanned as she passed Blackfire without looking at her as she continued down the corridor.

Blackfire grinned. "That's my girl."

_Ding!_

The elevator doors opened, and Starfire walked down to her room. Raven appeared before she could get to her door.

"Don't have time for the talking," Starfire said, circling around her friend. "I must make with the haste." She typed in the code, her door sliding open, and she stepped in so it could close behind her; if she turned her head, she would've seen the empath's bewildered look.

Starfire sat at her desk, opening her laptop. As soon as she was on the video chat page, she suddenly sighed, burying her face in her hands. She threw her head back, running her hands through her tossled looks before sending a request.

She patiently waited.

And then her laptop screen went from blue to another person sitting on the other side of the video transmission. Her cold exterior immediately melted away.

"Dick!" she beamed.

Robin flashed her a lopsided grin. "Hey, Kori. What's going on?"

"I have some information for you," Starfire said, leaning forward. "Something that might be of help on your mission."

Robin leaned in too, all business now. "Go on..."

* * *

**I liked how this chapter turned out :) Starfire goes from badass to her old bubbly self when she calls Robin :))**

**Little birds have been asking for more BBRae. Don't worry, 'cause you'll get it! ;D We just keep getting closer and closer, aren't we?(; **


	30. Connections

**You asked for BBRae...****And this is what I came up with.**

**Fair warning though ;)**

* * *

"Hey..." Raven ran her fingers through her scalp. "I wanna try something."

"What is it?" Beast Boy asked from the other end of their transmission call huskily.

Raven almost smiled. "This is gonna sound really corny but...when you go to sleep, I want you to think about me."

Beast Boy blushed. "U-Um...I kinda do that already so..."

"Oh." Raven's blush was faint but he saw it. "Well, good. Keep up the good work. Do it again."

Beast Boy chuckled. "Okay."

"Remember, think about me."

"Think about you."

"Try not to focus on anything else."

"Right."

"Okay?"

"Got it."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good."

"You are so pretty."

Well that was random.

Sweet, and dorky, yes.

But random.

"Flattering. I'm gonna go to sleep now. It's getting late."

"Sleep tight."

"Goodnight, Gar."

"G'Night, Rae."

* * *

Beast Boy got himself comfortable, his mind already on the empath. It had been a long day, and he was ready to get some rest. Whatever Raven was up to, he was getting excited just thinking about it.

And before he knew it, he was pulled into his own little dream land...

_"Alright...I'm asleep now, I think," Beast Boy said, observing his surroundings. "Testing, one, two, three!" He was standing in a strange white mist. "Weird foggy stuff, but okay! I'm just gonna keep on walking..."_

_And he did just that with a pep in his step. Eventually he began to see trees every now and then; leafless trees. There weren't too many to freak him out though._

_"Beast Boy?" a female voice spoke, and Beast Boy whirled around._

_"Raven?" he called back._

_"Beast Boy..." her voice echoed as he began to run the other way._

_"Raven! Raven, where are you? I'm here!"_

_"Beast Boy!"_

_Beast Boy turned his head, his eyes settling on a familiar pair of purple ones...a dark blue cloak...grey skin..._

_Raven took her hood off, and the mist cleared some._

_"Raven?" A big, goofy smile spread across his face in recognition._

_Raven's lips curved up. "Hi, Gar."_

_He rushed to her, and she to him, but he reached her first and scooped her up in his arms. Raven giggled and he set her down._

_"I think it worked..." she murmured._

_"What worked?" he asked._

_"Being half demon has its drawbacks..." She looked up at him. "But benefits as well. Can you feel this?" She ran her hands up his triceps, then back down to his hands._

Beast Boy's arm shifted.

_"I think so, because this feels too real," Beast Boy said, closing his eyes and gripping her wrists as her hands explored his face. "Like...I feel this here...but at the same time I feel this-"_

_"Outside of your mind, right."_

_"Raven, are you in my mind? Like, legit?"_

_Raven smiled softly. "In a sense, yes. I'm here, and you're here."_

_"Can I do the same to you?" Beast Boy asked, and when she lowered her hands, he took them in his own and gently massaged them._

Raven's fingers twitched.

_"Do you feel that?"_

_"Yes..." Raven sighed in contentment as his hands traveled up her arms and shoulders, then her cheeks, through her hair, and down her spine. "You know I think the others could do it too. Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg I mean. We're all connected now."_

_"Is that what you did before we left?"_

_"Mhmm. I'm not sure if there would be any side effects..."_

_"Like what?"_

_"Well, remember when I...became the portal?"_

_They both shuddered at the haunting memories._

_"Yes," Beast Boy said hoarsely._

_"I gave each of you some of my powers so you'll survive. I think the same applies here, but I'm not sure. I mean, since Robin and I have had our mental link for some time, I figured that the rest of you guys, you especially, deserved the same. I think it's best for the team, because when we're all together, the mental link is at its strongest and we can communicate by thought."_

_"So **that's** why you wanted to come!"_

_Raven arched an eyebrow and deadpanned, "How do you feel?"_

_Beast Boy laughed, pulling her towards him, their bodies pressed together. He leaned his forehead against hers and said, "I'm happy."_

_Before Raven could reply, his lips were already on hers. Her eyes fluttered closed, legs buckling against him; his strong arms kept her firm on her feet. She kissed him back, fisting her hands in his hair._

_"I miss you," she murmured against his mouth, and he broke the kiss to whisper in her ear._

_"You have no idea how right you are," and he grazed his teeth against her earlobe, making her shudder._

_"You need to come home," she breathed out shakily, feeling his hands travel. "And soon."_

_"I know..." He sucked in uneven breaths as her lips came in contact with his neck. "Dammit, Slade," he muttered._

_He retaliated, and a long, drawn out moan escaped unintentionally from the empath's lips; the beautiful sound made the changeling smile against her flesh, although it did send chills down his spine. "If I had known this was waiting for me back home..."_

_"Defeat Slade within the next couple days and you got yourself a deal," Raven purred in his ear._

_Beast Boy's heart jumped out of his chest. "Well damn...and we haven't even had our first date yet."_

_"Two by my count," Raven said, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side, giving him more access. "Probably more," she panted out, "if you consider the times we've 'hung out'..."_

_"And did you...think of them...as dates?"_

_"Now that I think about it...-**Oh Azar**-yes..." Her hand came over his, which was now located on one of her mounds now._

_"Awesome..." He gently bit down on her bottom lip, dragging the soft flesh through his teeth._

_"When was...the last time you, uh...,phased?"_

_He shrugged, and then he stiffened._

_"What's wrong?" Raven asked breathlessly, feeling disappointed when he pulled away from her._

_"I've been wanting to show you something." Beast Boy stepped back from her._

_"You're not gonna turn into a dragon again are you?" she asked skeptically and he laughed._

_"No. It's...something I noticed. When I do phase." He reached for the hem of his top and pulled it over his head._

_Briefly distracted, Raven watched the changeling morph in front of her eyes. He didn't change all the way, but enough to where hair grew a little shaggier and darkened, eyes black, fangs and claws unsheathed._

_And, on each sides, were the black markings. They normally appeared when he was fully phased but never when he was still...humanish._

_"They get harder to get rid of," Beast Boy explained as she approached him, dainty hands touching the blackened skin, "every time I change back."_

_"Maybe it's a sign," said Raven. "Maybe your...wolf side is becoming a big part of you."_

_"Not sure if that's a good sign or a bad sign," said Beast Boy, letting her hold his hands so his claws could retract. He phased back, but the marks were still there._

_"Are you trying to get rid of them now?"_

_"...Not working is it?"_

_"Nope."_

_She ran her hands down his arms, then over his sides and down his abdomen, making sure her hands covered every black mark._

_"I'm not sure how I feel about this..."_

_"If it makes you feel better...I kinda like it..."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah. It's different."_

_"...Then I totally love this! OMG let's post a TwitPic!"_

_"...You're unbelievable."_

* * *

"BEAST BOY!"

"AHHHH!" Beast Boy woke with a start, meeting the eyes of his two best friends. "DAMMIT, WHAT?!"

Robin and Cyborg suddenly weren't looking him in the eye; Robin was looking lower, and Cyborg was looking higher and trying not to snicker.

"What?" Beast Boy demanded, looking down at himself. His eyes widened. The marks...they were still there...

"Um, B?" Cyborg said through snickers. "Why are there dark purple lookin' hickies on your neck?"

Beast Boy sat up even straighter, now sitting up completely and covering the side of his throat. "Uh...I can explain?"

Robin noticed the love marks on Beast Boy and even smirked himself. "Can you?"

Beast Boy blushed. "Uh..." He looked at the time. 9:00 a.m. "Think it's a bit early to call our favorite girls?"

* * *

"Friend!"

Raven's eyes snapped open. "What? What's wrong?"

Starfire dragged Raven out of bed. "Come! Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg are requesting to talk via video chat!"

This had Raven wide awake.

"Your laptop?" she asked.

"Ops-eep!" Starfire held onto Raven as she phased them through the floor and down into the Ops. They walked very quickly to the big screen, smoothing out their hair, shaking themselves from sleep, and accepted the video chat request.

The city of Jump was replaced by the teen wonder, changeling, and half-robot. Robin was sitting, and Beast Boy and Cyborg hovered over him.

"There they areeee!" Cyborg singsonged.

"This better be an emergency if you're calling at six in the morning," Raven growled, but it didn't meet her eyes. She was actually happy to see Cyborg and Robin's smiling faces.

"Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy! It is glorious to see all of your faces!" Starfire's tone was ever so bubbly, now floating with glee.

"Ladies," Robin said back.

"Aye, look! Rave's got hickies too!" Cyborg pointed, and Raven's eyes widened, automatically placing her hand over the green love marks. The changeling and empathy blushed while their teammates smirked.

"Something you wanna tell us?" Robin asked innocently.

Raven and Beast Boy looked at each other, blushes deepening, and then Raven finally noticed that her boyfriend was shirtless. "Guess they didn't go away, huh?"

Beast Boy shook his head. "Nope."

"Well, don't worry. We'll figure something out."

"You're the best."

Raven blushed again.

"Ahem, lovebirds," Cyborg cut in. "Pay attention."

"So...?" said Robin.

"Oh. Right. Ahem," Raven cleared her throat. "You see...before you guys left...You know how Robin and I have this 'mental connection' thing?"

The rest of the Titans, excluding Beast Boy, nodded.

"Well, before you guys left, I kind of did the same with the rest of you."

"So we're all connected?" Cyborg said.

Raven nodded. "All five of us. We're linked to each other, through me. But it has limitations. We can't hear each other's thoughts if we're so far apart, and, I don't know if there will be side effects."

"Side effects?" Robin repeated.

"Yeah. Like you may or may not have gained some of my power because of it."

The boys and Starfire exchanged glances.

"I'm sorry if you guys might think it's creepy but..."

"No," the three boys said in unison, making her head snap up.

"No?"

"No," said Starfire with a smile.

"That just means that it really makes us a family," Cyborg said with that big grin of his.

"Definitely," said Robin.

"Oh." Raven smiled a little. "Well, that's good."

Cyborg and Robin looked pointedly at Beast Boy.

"What?" questioned the changeling.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, man," said Cyborg. "You're quieter than usual."

"Oh. Um...yeah, that's the thing..." Beast Boy laughed nervously. "Raven and I...sorta talked about this last night and-"

"Last night?"

"_Last night_?"

"Last _**WHAT?!"**_

Raven shuffled awkwardly and Beast Boy continued, "See the thing is, if I think about Raven before I go to sleep, she'll appear in my dreams. Like legit, be there. And whatever happens to us in the dream, we can kind of feel it outside of the dream too."

"And does that explain the hickies?" Robin deadpanned, he and Cyborg still fighting laughter.

"_Yes, _it does," Raven almost snapped. "And you guys can do it too. Especially you, Robin."

"Me?" Robin repeated.

Raven nodded. "You and Starfire, I think. It can probably work. Just think about each other and concentrate on how much you want to be together and..."

"Boom!" Beast Boy cut in.

The empath sighed. "Yes...'boom'. You should be able to be mentally connected in your subconscious."

"I wish me and Bee could do the same thing..." Cyborg murmured under his breath, but they all heard it. Beast Boy and Robin patted his back, Starfire teared up, and Raven looked sad.

"Oh Cyborg! I wish I could come over there and give you the biggest of hugs!" Starfire wailed.

"Don't worry, Starfire," Raven said before Robin could. "We'll all be together soon, and we can even have a big group hug when the boys come home."

Starfire's eyes brightened. "REALLY?!"

"Oh Azar," Raven uttered, but said out loud, "Yeah. Sure. But no kisses."

"Aw, naw!" Cyborg said, grinning again. A happy one this time.

"Not so fast," said Robin, smiling too.

"You just wait, Rae." Beast Boy winked. "As soon as we get home, we're gonna give you big, wet, slobbery kisses!"

"Oh joy, I cannot wait," Raven deadpanned. "My dead heart beats again at the thought of my loves coming home after such a long departure," she finished in an ancient English accent.

The Titans laughed, and she couldn't help but join it. But she couldn't help it, and neither could they.

These five truly loved each other.

* * *

**The Titans bonding ^.^ Don't cha just LOVE it? :D Figured a lighter chapter was overdue.**


	31. When There's Trouble

**Don't worry, my lovelies. This story is not abandoned :) Thanks for being patient! Reviews are appreciated greatly.**

**P.S. You guys _do _realize that this is the chapter where the badassery starts, right? (Although it started chapters ago, really)**

**As in Starfire was right after all...**

* * *

"The trail ends here," Beast Boy said, morphing back into his human form.

"Dammit," Robin cursed under his breath. "Titans, split up!"

The boys sprinted in different directions. Beast Boy morphed into a bird and took to the skies; when he flew for a good bit and realized that he saw no activity, he morphed back as he landed on a rooftop and said into his communicator, "Nothing here, boss!"

_"Search the alleys and try to pick up Slade's scent again," _said Robin.

"Can do. Beast Boy out." Beast Boy put his communicator away. "Heh. I sound so professional."

Anyway, he hopped down from the building, using his claws as leverage as he slid down. As soon as he was firm on his feet, the wind shifted, and something caught his nose suspiciously.

Beast Boy sniffed the air.

There was movement in the darkness behind him, and he whirled around, fists balled up and at the ready.

But there was nothing there. Not even the Beast inside him could sense anything. There was still something fishy in the air though.

And that's when he heard the faint screams of his teammates; a normal person would've barely picked it up, but Beast Boy's ears picked them up immediately. Panicking, he whirled around once more, trying to figure out which direction the screams were coming from. The last two he heard struck him hard. Cyborg. Robin.

_No!_

Lost in thought, Beast Boy was caught off guard when something grabbed him by the ankles and yanked, causing the changeling to fall to his face; his head hit the ground so hard that he was knocked out instantly, not being able to feel himself being dragged carelessly along the cold, wet concrete and into further darkness.

What's worse is that the same thing happened to Robin, but he was awake just enough to barely send an S.O.S. signal before he lost his grip to reality and his communicator...

* * *

Raven moaned as she gripped her head, collapsing against the wall; it was like everything was on fire, the most painful headache she had yet to endure. Starfire whimpered, clutching her forehead and sinking to her knees, feeling sick to the stomach and head.

"What's wrong?" Terra and Jade rushed to their friends' aids, Jade helping Starfire to her feet and Terra supporting Raven in a sitting position.

"Beast Boy..." Raven croaked, opening her eyes.

"Robin..." Starfire whined in pain.

"Something's wrong," the empath whispered as she let Terra help her to her feet. "Something's very wrong. I can feel it."

"I as well," the alieness added.

A faint beeping sound was made from the window. Starfire rushed over, running her fingers through her hair as she pulled up the transmission screen. There was a blinking dot located in New York. Starfire zoomed in, narrowing the location of Robin's communicator down. The girls surrounded her.

"There's Beast Boy's," Raven pointed.

"And Aqualad's," Terra said, hand coming over her mouth.

"And Speedy's," said Jade, hands already balling up in loose fists.

"What do we do?" said the blonde.

Starfire traced the seven dots. "They must have been taken around the same enclosed areas. And if they were all kidnapped, then they were most likely taken to Slade!"

"Which means that they will be in the same location as Bumble Bee, Jinx, and Kole," Raven finished.

"And if I'm correct, Slade would want to get to Robin first..." Starfire's eyes did a number. First they were sad, then frightened, then angry, then furious, then outraged, then determined. She knew how Robin and Slade act, especially when it's just the two of them; they would actually attempt to kill each other if someone didn't stop them.

She turned to the girls who were not only her closest friends that had worry written all over their features, but also her teammates who now also had a fire rising from the ashes.

Her voice was firm and full of authority as she spoke.

"Titans, suit up and meet me in the garage in an earthly hour!"

* * *

When Robin came to, he groaned dryly. There was the taste of copper in his mouth, and he realized that it was blood. He drew it all up, mixing deliciously disgustingly with his saliva, and spit.

"Finally awake, are we?"

The teen wonder automatically tensed up, stiffening at the one voice he strongly loathed and made way to get up; but then he realized he couldn't. His hands were tied behind his back, his arms practically covered in raw ropes. He rolled over on his back, taking in his surroundings. The room was dimly lit, and he didn't see any of his teammates, which worried him; covered in metal and other dull colors, the room was also pretty spacious, a set of security screens grouped together in the very front of the room on a higher platform with steps. A dark figure stepped down those steps, half of his body always hidden in the shadows-even if it was broad daylight, which Robin would never understand-and Robin gritted his teeth as he felt himself being hoisted up by the collar.

_"Slade."_

"Hello, Robin," Slade sneered. "You wanted to find me, and now you have. Satisfied?"

"Untie me!" Robin spat.

"Oh no. There's no time for that." Slade dropped him on his knees, and Robin cringed at the unfriendly pressure the floor held, "Besides, that wouldn't be fun, now would it?"

"WHERE'S MY TEAM?" Robin roared. "_WHERE'S BUMBLE BEE, JINX, AND KOLE_?!"

"Temper, young man," Slade scolded as if a father was talking to his son. "You don't get answers just by yelling." He sat in his chair. "It's been a while, Robin. Why don't we catch up with each other first? I'll start." Grabbing his staff, Slade got back to his feet, and the villain sauntered over to the hero while twirling his weapon as if it was a baton. "As you can see, I have upgraded my suit," he gestured to himself, and Robin saw a rather impressive, upgraded looking belt, "But you know what they say. The suit doesn't make the man." He stopped twirling, jabbing Robin in the chest and causing him to fall on his back with a grunt, then pressed the cold metal into his cheek. "What do you think, Robin? Can you fight without your precious weaponry?"

_SWOOSH._

Robin yelled in pain as the metal cut across his face, the blow so hard that it sent him over on his side. Blood oozed out of his cheek, his nose already feeling broken. He saw his own blood splattering the floor like red paint on a blank canvas.

"Go..." he panted out heavily. "to hell..."

Slade sighed. "That wasn't the answer I was looking for."

Robin looked over his shoulder, eyes widening as the staff this time was aimed at his spine.

* * *

"You okay?"

Starfire didn't turn from where she stood in the garage, finishing applying her purple lipstick, the color almost neon. Her long hair was straightened, curled and wavy at the ends, mascara and eyeliner added. She then turned around to face her friend, who lowered her hood; the empath's eyelids were black and outlined to sharp points.

Starfire's _'No'_ came out unspoken, but Raven sensed it through their link. Raven crossed the room and gripped the alieness's hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze, although Starfire sensed that Raven was losing it on the inside; so the redhead squeezed back.

Terra and Jade entered the room, Jade in the midst of sharpening one of her knives; the assassin's eyes were a smoky green. Terra had brown eyeliner, but it was barely noticeable since she wore a mask over her eyes.

"How do we get there, T-Ship?" Terra asked.

"No, Slade will expect that," Starfire said with a shake of her head, removing her hand from Raven's grip. She took out a set of car keys, smirking when she pressed a button.

The sound of a car's engine caught the girls' attention, jumping back several feet as a car swerved into view, coming to a stop. And they all, excluding Starfire, stood there and gapped. It was slick, sleek. Violet, slightly pinkish in color. It wasn't built like a normal car would be set up, but more of something that would be owned by a spy. Or Batman.

This meant that the windows were darker and more slender than the average car, shaped rather curvy-like because of the round arch the top of the car had instead of a normal square or rectangular shape. The tires were new, pitch black with pure, beautiful silver, and something about it just screamed I-Can-So-Do-More-Than-Drive.

"_Whoa_!" Terra squealed, fangirling and too afraid to touch the beautiful automobile.

"Pleeeeease tell me that this is yours," said Jade.

Even Raven was just staring without blinking.

"Indeed, it is of my possession," said Starfire. "Now, we must make with the haste!" She hopped in the driver's seat, starting the car up again. Terra leaped for the passenger's seat when Raven used her powers to throw her in the back with Jade, taking the passenger's seat instead and using her magic to close the door as well.

Raven barely had her seatbelt on when Starfire's foot slammed hard on the gas.

* * *

_"Do you have a license?" _Raven said through gritted teeth.

Starfire smiled, not taking her eyes off the road as they sped through the night, her passenger's backs pressed firmly against the seats. Jade and Starfire were the only ones looking completely at ease with the car's increasing speeds, Terra only looking a little jittery. "You need not worry! We shall be reaching the shorelines soon."

"If you kill us before we get to New York, I swear to Azar I am coming back as a mindless demon and I will personally find you in the afterlife and rip your throat out. With my teeth."

Starfire giggled.

The alieness's phone buzzed and she picked it up, leaning her phone arm against the window as she answered. "Hello, Kom."

"_Somebody grew up over the past day or two."_

"Do you remember-?"

"_Yes, I remember your little plan B if your plan A doesn't work. Don't worry, baby sister. No one gets to torture you but me."_

"Somehow that reassures me fondly."

_"Well good."_

"As soon as we reach our destination, I will send your team my coordinates."

"_Fair enough. Have fun, Kori." _Blackfire giggled darkly on the other end.

One of Starfire's eyebrows quirked. "Oh I plan to."

Blackfire ended the call, and Starfire slid her phone back in the compartment.

"What was that about?" Raven asked, although she already had an idea that she knew.

"Do the trusting of me, friend," Starfire replied, and the car swerved abruptly, throwing the three passengers backwards yet again; the car transformed from the bottom, green flames coming out and blades spinning as Starfire headed for the ocean. They were now gliding just over the waters, flying over the blue sea. "I know what I am doing." Starfire winked at the empath.

As she continued to drive, she started to feel a pain in her lower back, eyes squinting. Raven felt it too.

"Well, let's hope," said Raven. "Something tells me that we're running out of time."

"We _are not_," Starfire disagreed, although her firm tone wavered as a pang of pain hit her again. "We _will_ be victorious..." She leaned forward, resting her chin on the steering wheel.

While Starfire tried to keep her face blank, Raven closed her eyes and decided to get some mediation in.

Terra, however, broke their concentration.

"Does anybody else have to go to the _bathroooooom_?"

"TERRA!"

"What? I forgot to go before we left!"

"**Hold it**," Raven snarled.

"Pee in a cup," Jade muttered under her breath, admiring the glint of her favorite shuriken.

"Why did you not make a stop, Terra?" Starfire asked. "We do not have the time to make the stops of pits!"

"We don't have a cup in here!" Terra whined.

"Too bad, princess," Raven uttered.

"But-!"

Raven turned around in her seat, white eyes meeting a wide and now fearful set of blue ones.

"I-I guess I can hold it for a few more hours!"

"That's what I thought, sweetness."

Terra crossed her arms as Raven turned around, turning her head towards the window. "Honeycups..."

* * *

**These Rush Hour references just keep coming and coming to me as I think them up xD**

**TRUST ME, GUYS. I PROMISE YOU THAT THIS NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE LONGER :)**

**P.S. When you think of Starfire's car, picture it something on the lines of Kim Possible's car. That's the closest picture I can get :D (And that was a niiiice car.)**


	32. You Know Who To Call

**Thanks for the feedback, guys! Reeeeally appreciate it!**

**I just _love_ reunions, don't you? ;) I think there's a good amount of humor, drama, and action in here all at once! So many emotions..._where's my chocolate_?!**

* * *

"Hurry up!" Jade hissed impatiently, she, Raven, and Starfire forming a shield around the blonde as she 'handled her business' in a random alley. Would it have killed the girl to find a local restroom?

"I'm trying to!" Terra swatted at the assassin's hand before disappearing again.

Starfire giggled a little while Raven tapped her foot.

"I see the fleet!" she pointed, and they all looked up (Terra had finally finished). It was big, grey, black, and bronze, and you couldn't miss it. Slade's insignia was printed on both sides, and the flying vehicle looked intimidating. Starfire got chills just looking at it, yet adrenaline was pumping through her veins with anticipation. They were so close... "We should ascend!"

"That would take too long. Gather around me," said Raven, arms halfway outstretched. Starfire, Jade, and Terra came close, and Raven's eyes turned white before the four were engulfed in her dark magic, disappearing from sight.

There was a cold sensation, all senses dulled for a moment before they returned. Terra was still getting used to the feeling, rubbing her arms as they appeared on top of the fleet, and held back a shudder. Jade found it pretty cool, but she was still adjusting as well. Starfire had grown fond of this of course; she embraced her best friend's darkness with compassion.

"How many linger at the entrance?" Starfire asked, hands lighting up.

"I sense about five," Raven said, lowering her hand from her temple. "They're waiting for us behind that door. Now they're planning on a 'surprise attack' and hiding in the vents."

"We can take 'em," said Terra confidently.

"Hmm...Raven, are there any more entrances?"

Raven closed her eyes, pressing her forefingers against her temple once more. "There are many levels...I think Jinx, Kole, and Bumble Bee are somewhere on the lower levels. I can sense their despair-their emotions are very strong-and-" She winced.

"What's wrong?" Jade asked as Starfire held herself, feeling something far worse than cramps.

"Robin...where's Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy?" Starfire asked through her wheezes.

"Robin's on the very top floor, control room I think, but I can't tell. Beast Boy and Cyborg are very near, but I think they are in separate rooms."

"Then we shall do the splitting up," Starfire said. "Terra, you have worked with the Slade in your past life. Is there anything you can remember so navigation will be easier?"

Terra tensed up, but she thought over it anyway. What came up was flashes of electricity and pain, making her wince and whimper, eyes wide and going back and forth between both of her feet. She rapidly shook her head.

"We'll need to have stealth," she said finally. "Jade?"

Jade nodded. "Yep. You're coming with me, Blondie," she grabbed Terra's arm.

"Raven and I will head in this direction," Starfire said, pointing to the obvious entrance, and they all nodded. "Good luck, and may X'hal be with you."

They all touched hands before Starfire said, "Titans, split up!"

And they did.

* * *

"This shift is sooooo boring," Kitten whined as she and her taller companion paced up and down the murky hall.

"Then do something," Malchior said with a roll of his eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding that green freak?"

"Logan got boring," Malchior showed his razor sharp teeth in a spine-tingling smile. "But I did have my fun with him, though."

Kitten made a face. "You sound soooo gay."

"Says the girl with the whip."

Kitten's hand flitted to the whip attached to her hip, it's silver glow reflecting off the wall. "What's so gay about having a whip?"

He cast a sideways glance at her. "Never mind that." A breeze from the vents hit his nose, and he stiffened, eyes now on the door.

"What's wrong?" Kitten asked impatiently, coming up behind him.

Malchior lifted his hands, then threw them out, claws extended. Kitten, seeing him ready for violence, gripped the handle of her whip and pulled it out of its holster with a _Snap!,_ the silver uncoiling like it was a snake, sparkling, and ready for battle. Obviously, the dragon boy smelled something she couldn't, which only intensified her irritation and hatred for him.

There was a moment of silence.

The familiar sound of magic being used went through Malchior's ear and out the other. Like expected, the door was engulfed in black, ripped from it's hinges, and thrown in the duo's direction. It slammed into them before they could even jump out of the way-which would be hard to do in such a narrow hallway-knocking the two back yards before they hit the wall, sliding into a heap on the floor.

"I was expecting this to be a little difficult..." a voice deadpanned.

Growling, Malchior threw the door off of him (and Kitten), the both of them flying to their feet.

"Where are they?" Starfire demanded, eyes and fists lit. Raven's eyes were white, auras black around her hands.

"You have to be more specific, Strawberry Shortcake," Kitten purred-pun intended-and smiled smugly at the alieness. This set Starfire's teeth on edge; she already strongly despised the human girl for trying to take Robin away from her (although he _technically_ wasn't hers at the time), and in this moment, it only made her hate the blonde even more. Starfire's eyes observed her very likely opponent. Kitten was dressed in leather and other dark necessities, arms and legs bare; she wore a cropped leather jacket, a black dress with lacy cuts in the sides, and black high heeled boots. Her makeup was dark, and her hair was in a messy up-do.

Starfire cringed at the nickname. She hadn't any idea whom Kitten was referring too. Who was this Shortcake of Strawberries? Or was it a what?

"Even if you ask nicely, we won't tell you..." Malchior said calmly, though it was obvious he was about to hit somebody. And that somebody just happened to be of demonic decent.

Raven thrust her hand forward, her dark magic engulfing Malchior's body within half of a second, and threw him against the wall, keeping him there.

"You do realize that I taught you everything you know, right?" Malchior reminded Raven with a dark chuckle.

"_Shut up and tell me where he is_," Raven snarled through gritted teeth. "_I know you know_."

"I haven't an idea what you are referring to, darling," Malchior said, still in that soft yet dangerous tone.

Raven's hand started to ball up, and Malchior's windpipe began to close.

"Do it, then!" Malchior rasped out. "Finish me off...It's what you and your little pup want, right?"

Raven's glare wavered.

Malchior grinned once more. "I see. You don't have the guts to do it. Of course. I always expected this from you, Raven. Always taking the 'hero' way out when you can never lash out and do what your darkest heart desires. It's because of that _dog_ that you're holding back from your true self."

"This _is_ my true self," Raven snapped, eyes now red and going from two to four. She reached into his mind but found an invisible barrier blocking her from his thoughts. Damn, he was good. _Too_ good.

"Try again, sweetheart," Malchior said lazily.

"What's wrong, Peaches?" Kitten asked as she and Starfire circled each other like wolves, off in their own little bubble. "You look a little stressed..." She slapped her whip against the floor, the loud sound almost making Starfire jump. "Want me to rub that pretty neck?"

"Your hospitality isn't necessary..." Starfire replied as calmly as she could. "I appreciate your concern."

Kitten shrugged and smiled. "Wanna know where your boyfriend is?"

Another pang of fire, shot down Starfire's spin, causing her to arch her back some, and she fought back the urge to cry out. Her eyes drifted upward just as she heard a bang. "I believe I have the feeling."

Kitten glared at her suspiciously; bringing her hand back, she flung her whip forward, the end of it wrapping around Starfire's neck; gasping at the now burning sensation, Starfire clutched at her throat, but the pressure only tightened and made a sizzling sound against her skin; the silver glowed a bright gold where it touched her skin. Smiling, Kitten expertly brought her arm around her head, all the while swinging Starfire up and down, the alieness's body flung mercilessly against the walls and floor several times.

"Like this?" Kitten asked, knocking Starfire's head against the wall and letting her victim fall to her back. Kitten walked over, seeing the princess still struggling, and smiled wider as she pressed her heel into Starfire's throat. Starfire's nose was bloody, head pounding and vision blurry. "It was a birthday present from Slade. He's kinda like my father in a way. He trained me for this day, so I can finally beat you."

Starfire gurgled, now struggling to breathe.

_"The people of Earth aren't like us," nine year old Komand'r told her little sister as they sat on the balcony, holding hands and wind blowing through their hair. A time where things were easier, funner, purer..._

_"What do you mean?" seven and a half year old Koriand'r asked curiously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear._

_"I mean, sure, we look the same in a way. But on the other hand, we're totally different."_

_"Like...?"_

_"For one, we're a lot stronger." Kom grinned down at her, and Kori smiled back up at her older sibling. "Unlike the humans, we were descended from felines, and our kind are made to be warriors. Which means that we have something like a switch."_

_"A...switch?"_

_"We can use our strength to an extent, but if we get to the peak of our anger...we can loose control and break that barrier-I call it your 'humanity barrier'."_

_Koriand'r nodded, biting her lip and avoiding her sister's gaze. "What does this mean?"_

_"If a human messes with you, renders you helpless...just remember who you are. Show them you aren't weak..."_

Starfire choked out, "I...am...not...**_rutha_**!" Her leg tucked and folded against her stomach and with a, "_Kyai!"_, her foot slammed into Kitten's chest, causing the blonde to shriek as her body soared backwards, her whip leaving her hand. Kitten collided into the wall, falling on her face. Grunting and spitting out blood, Kitten rose her head and gritted her teeth at the Tamaranean before reaching for her whip. Starfire's foot came over the handle and she crushed it, twisting her foot back and forth, and the whip lost its glow.

"Noooooo!" Kitten shrieked, pushing herself to her feet. "That's _it!" _

Suddenly, Kitten's blue eyes glowed a brighter blue, pupils turning to slits; her white manicured nails extended into feline claws, fangs free of their sheaths from her top and bottom canines. Her hair shifted, looking more wilder, and even her face looked more...catish.

"You've been in my way long enough, girly," Kitten growled as she prowled to Starfire, her feet now free of the boots and were sharpened to the point as well. Starfire retreated, confusion written all over her face as well as disgust and other negative emotions. "Now it's time for you to go away. _Permanently_!"

A pair of footsteps were heard, making Starfire and Raven whip their heads around. Cheshire paused her running as she observed what was going on before she ran in there, closely followed by Terra.

"Down, Kitty!" Cheshire said and threw a knife, which pierced through Kitten's shoulder. Kitten roared in pain, reaching for the handle and made way to yank it out; blood was already seeping through her jacket, even though the tissues in her body were trying to heal and regenerate themselves. Raven looked back to Malchior-

Only to find that he was gone.

Raven's lips pursed, nostrils flaring, and her dark energy disappeared.

_That little shit._

"You okay?" Terra touched her arm as she approached the empath.

Raven nodded. "I will be."

A feline screech caused the three to turn around, eyes bulking out as they saw Starfire lower her leg, and Kitten falling to an unconscious heap at her feet.

"Well damn," said Terra before she noticed a door. "Hey, look! Let's try going through there!"

"Good idea," Cheshire said. She led the way this time, Starfire behind her, then Raven, then Terra; they all had their backs pressed against the wall, keeping their footsteps light and careful. The assassiness was a pro at this, of course, since she's been doing it since she was young.

This hallway was different than the one they just left. There were other arches and smaller hallways that led to what looked like different doors with a small window in each door.

"Are we able to communicate with Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy by thought?"

"I think..." Raven pondered in a whisper. "We're very close, but...they're not on this floor. We can try to think out to them. It's worth a shot."

They both closed their eyes, before their thoughts whispered into the air...

* * *

___"Robin..."_

_"Beast Boy..."_

_"Cyborg..."_

Robin slowly blinked, and it hurt for him to. Slade had left Robin by himself, beaten to a bloody pulp. Several bones in his body felt broken, misplaced; he couldn't move his fingers or his toes. He felt paralyzed. Curled in a fetal position, waiting for the pain to leave him, he was close to actually crying.

But then he heard voices.

_Those _voices. Echoing in his head.

"St...St..." Robin's busted lip couldn't move more than an inch, his tongue feeling heavy, and he thought out instead, _"Starfire? Raven? Is that you?"_

Beast Boy lifted his head, forcing his own eyes to open; he sat in a pitch black cell, wrists and ankles chained to the wall above his head; he truly felt like an animal. Like he was in a cage. And he didn't like it. His torso was bare, but he still felt that he had on his bottoms, so that was good. The claw marks on his chest and everywhere else visible burned like hell. He knew his claws were still present. He knew that his fangs were still unsheathed, a copper taste stuck in his mouth and he couldn't get rid of it. Which was annoying.

_"Am I crazy, or am I hearing you guys in my head?"_

* * *

Raven and Starfire gasped.

_"You're not crazy," _Raven thought, heart fluttering.

_"Why is it that Cyborg is not speaking?" _Starfire wondered with worry, squeezing Raven's hand.

The boys didn't answer.

_"Where are you? We'll come and get you," _Raven said.

_"In one of the cells," _Beast Boy said back, sounding breathless. _"I can't see anything though."_

_"It...looks like I'm...I'm in the control room. Somewhere in one of the top floors...I'd say...the center and...and..." _Robin sounded weak, and he was, fighting to stay conscious.

"_Richard? Richard_?" Starfire thought urgently, walking forward.

_"Yeah...?"_

Raven watched as Starfire's eyes widened, the alieness finding an elevator of some sort.

_"Your voice is getting the louder!" _Starfire thought. _"Keep thinking, please!"_

_"I'll try..." _Robin sighed.

_"You find Robin. We'll meet you in a bit," _Raven thought at her, and Starfire nodded before she disappeared in the elevator. _"Beast Boy, you still there?"_

_"Never left," _Beast Boy replied.

_"Just...hold on, Gar. I'll find you."_

_"Counting on it, Rae."_

Raven faintly smiled before she realized she was alone. Before she could panic though, Terra and Cheshire came out from around a corner, carrying someone with them. Gasping, Raven ran to them and they set Bumble Bee down.

"Hey..." Bee smiled weakly, collapsing in Raven's arms. Raven held her close, hands already lit and roaming her friend's broken body.

"Hey...you're gonna be okay," Raven said back, gingerly healing the pain in her back. The place where her wings were looked haunting, an extra set of bones pressing against the small white dress Bumble Bee was wearing. "Everything's going to be okay."

Bee shook her head. "No it won't..."

"Yes it will," Raven pulled back and cupped Bee's cheeks. "We're gonna get through this together, okay?"

Bumble Bee sighed and nodded. "But what am I going to do without my wings? And I feel so weak..."

Terra and Cheshire departed to go look for Kole and Jinx.

"Let me take care of that," said Raven, helping Bee up to her feet. "Got a suit?"

Bee nodded again. "Yeah, but..."

Raven was already backing away from her. "Then it's time to suit up." Bumble Bee watched the empath murmur a few words that she didn't understand, and continued to stare at Raven when she opened her eyes.

"What did you just do?" Bumble Bee asked.

Raven just smirked. "Wait for it."

All of a sudden, Bee felt a tingling sensation, starting from the tips of her toes, making them curl, then all the way up to her forehead. She felt...energy. A sudden...brightness. And she wasn't just feeling it. She was _seeing_ it; her belly started to glow before tiny swirls spilled out and began to fly around her. Bumble Bee was starting to have an episode because she felt like she was either Rapunzel or someone from the Winx Club. The light and swirling streams engulfed her, wrapping around her body. Somehow, she was being coaxed to close her eyes and spread her arms and legs out. Her dingy white dress was gone, replacing with something else.

Covering her hands were black fingerless gloves, then matching sleeves before covering her throat all the way down to her feet in a black blanket that hugged her body. Her biceps and triceps were liquefied in a beautiful gold, also wrapping around her back, bosom, fingers, and forming into boots on her feet. All of her injuries disappeared, hair now wrapping itself in a curly updo. Her lips were painted in a pinker hue.

Bee opened her eyes, looking down at herself, hands out, before she smiled at Raven.

"I like this!" she said in octaves higher than her normal tone.

"Thought you would. That's the suit you've been hiding away apparently," said Raven. "I like it."

"Thanks," Bee said sheepishly. "So what's the plan?"

Raven walked up to her. "Here's what we're going to do..."

* * *

There was a bright white light, blinding the changeling for a moment before it was gone, darkness suffocating him again. What was happening? Was it an angel coming to take him to heaven? Was he dead? His question was answered as he heard footsteps rushing in his direction, and he caught a whiff.

Lavender. He was smelling_ lavender_.

Eyes widening as far as they could go, Beast Boy felt a softer set of hands touch his face, palms pressed against his cheek and hair; he found his head buried in something...very squishy. He didn't even let his mind go pervy, because he curved himself around the smaller body embracing him as much as he could.

"Raven?"

He felt her nod, their noses touching.

"I told you I'll find you," Raven said.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Beast Boy grinned, and before he knew it, her mouth was on his.

* * *

***wipes sweat off forehead* Man! I've been working for about seven hours on this, including potty breaks and having to do the dishes, and I actually liked how this turned out!**

**Don't worry, guys. Everybody comes together in the next chapter, so you know Slade's in trouble ;D**


	33. Jinx, Is That You?

**Your feedback was just...wow.**

**LEMME TELL YA HOW I FEEL! *preacher's voice***

**THANK YA EVERYONE WHO'S REVIEWED AND KEPT TELLING ME HOW MUCH YA LOVED THIS STORY, HAH, AND COULDN'T WAIT ANY LONGER FOR THIS UPDATE, HAH!**

**AND HERE IT IS, HAH! THE UPDATE YA'LL HAVE BEEN WAITIN' FOR, HAH! SLADE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S COMIN' FOR ONCE! HALLELUJER, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, HAIL MARY, ALL YOU BOOSHIE PEOPLE UP THERE, HELLER.**

**P.S. For those of you who caught the Avengers reference, I have cookies and Chinese xD**

**P.S.S.: For you Flinx, lovers, don't worry ;D We'll eventually get more into Flinx and RobStar as we go.**

* * *

The Teen Wonder was forced back on his knees, body slouched over. "Have you had enough, Robin?"

_As soon as I get the feeling in my foot..._Robin thought in a hiss.

Slade grinned behind his mask. "It looks like your teammates have had enough, it seems..."

The walls slid up and left, bodies tumbling out of them; Robin gasped and cringed at the sickening crunches that Aqualad, Speedy, and Cyborg's bodies made when they hit the floor. They all looked as bad as he did, barely conscious. His breath hitched unevenly when he saw Cyborg, who looked almost disconnected, his bright blue parts replaced with a dull lifeless grey.

"These two, however...put up a fight, I'd have to say..." Slade began just as Malchior and Kitten came in from behind him; Malchior dragged a tied up Beast Boy, and Kitten had Kid Flash by the throat, her claws out and ready to rip on command. Beast Boy was forced down on his knees besides Robin so they and an unconscious Cyborg were grouped together.

"Where're your Titans now?" Slade asked rhetorically with malice.

_"Here that, dude?" _Beast Boy thought, their heads hanging in defeat.

_"Yep," _Robin thought back.

_"We're gonna kill him for what he did to Cy, right?"_

_"Yep."_

_"And Bee, Jinx, and Kole?"_

_"He's lucky I got lawyers."_

All was still until they heard a rough _clink! _noise. Slade's eyes flickered upwards as the door above them began to give way. A loud, female grunt was heard before the door was busted in, and a female figure flew in the room, landing on top of the fallen door.

Slade stiffened in the slightest, but on the exterior he remained as calm as the tides. The sound had woken up Aqualad and Speedy enough for them to move and open their eyes, and Cyborg's robotic eye flickered.

"Hello, Starfire. Nice of you to drop by."

Starfire's lit hands and eyes dimmed, straightening up from her crouch as she observed the room. Fighting back a cry from her friends' appearances, her eyes continued to travel around the room until she met Robin's; Robin's lips pulled up at the corners, and Starfire sighed in relief.

"Did you come alone, little one?" Slade asked, hands behind his back. "It's not very wise for someone like yourself to wander by yourself in a place like this."

"I may be by oneself, but I'm not alone," Starfire said back with a mischievous look in her normally innocent orbs.

As if on cue, a black orb came through the floor; disappearing, it revealed none other than Raven and Bumble Bee. Raven straightened out of her stance, she and Bee joining Starfire's flanks.

Beast Boy was smiling like an idiot, and Cyborg's dead parts began to glow from the sudden energy and warmth that spread through Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven.

Slade's visible eye widened at the sight of his free prisoner. He began to fish for something in his belt when the sound of a gun being cocked forced him to look to the right. Speedy was the first to spot Cheshire leaning against the rail, foot propped up and pistol aimed at Slade's head.

"I wouldn't," said Cheshire. And out of the shadows behind her, Terra came through, twirling sharp shards of rocks above her fingers.

"Unless you wanna get killed in a rockslide," the blonde added.

"Well, well, well, isn't this lovely..." Slade said. "I must say, Starfire, I am impressed. But you cannot scare me. Your friends are on the edge of death. There's nothing you can do. Did you know that you already lost someone on your side?"

Silence met his statement, which the villain expected. When he snapped his fingers, a door opened from the back of the room, and there was the sound of a girl struggling against a strong grip. To the Titans shock, it was Jericho, dressed in dark clothes with a Slade insignia on his jacket, tugging Kole in the room; his arms were wrapped around her neck and chest firmly, a blank look on his face.

Robin shook his head. "No..."

Slade smiled wide. "_Yes_."

Kole gripped Jericho's arms, slightly slouched over as she fought back tears.

"Didn't you ever hear the saying, 'Family comes first', Robin?" Slade asked innocently. "You should've seen it from the beginning...but I guess you weren't the great leader you _thought_ you were." Once again, he grabbed Robin roughly by the collar and hoisted him up off the ground.

"Robin!" Beast Boy yelled and tried to kick Slade, but was received with a hard blow to the head.

Raven's nostrils flared. Starfire shot a starbolt at Slade's head, causing him to stagger and drop Robin. A black claw wrapped around Slade's body and flung him backwards. The alieness and empath jumped down, running to their teammates.

As soon as the girls reached the boys, the five slowly began to feel better and stronger. Starfire gingerly helped Robin to his feet, Raven doing the same for Beast Boy and Cyborg.

Slade sat up, eyeing the golden five. Robin and Starfire stood in the front, Robin's arm around Starfire's back and Starfire's hand on his chest. Beast Boy and Raven were in a similar position, but Raven's free hand was gripping Cyborg's arm.

Here's where everyone had to do a double take. Like Raven's glowing hands, Starfire's had a mint green aura around them as she healed who she touched; more shocking, Cyborg's hands were the same color as his robotic parts, Beast Boy's a neon green, and Robin's a pale red with a blueish center.

The Titans were healing each other. And as the moments passed, they all were touching some part of each other so their healing energy could pass through the others as well. By the time they were finished, the fallen heroes were back on their feet. Even Kid Flash flitted out of Kitten's grip and stood on the other side of Speedy.

Slade, Malchior, and Kitten retreated a step, remaining calm still on the exterior, but it was clear they did not see this coming. But Slade still had a few tricks up his sleeves left, and it was clear that they still haven't found their little witch...Slade smiled darkly at the thought.

All of the Titans in the room slowly began to form together, the couples closer in proximity. Cheshire handed Speedy his bows and arrows-how she managed to get a hold of them, Speedy had no idea, but would've kissed her at any other time.

Jericho dragged Kole behind his father, standing with Malchior and Kole, but still visible to the others.

"You all must think you're _invincible_ now..." Slade sneered. "Yet you still think you can defeat me? You obviously haven't done your research properly. It's one step forward, and two steps back..." As he continued his villain speech, Kole stopped sobbing; instead, the short girl let one of her hand drop from Jericho's arm. Robin noticed this.

_"Jericho and Kole are up to something," _ he told his team through their mental link.

Kole's hand ever so slowly eased its way across Jericho's pants, Robin noticing that her goal was Jericho's right pocket. Her small hand dipped inside, disappearing in the dark fabric for a moment before she pulled out the handle of a pocket knife.

Jericho's hand came over hers, thumb on the back of her hand.

"...I will always be ahead, no matter how far you think you'll suceed," Slade spat, voice raising.

Jericho's thumb traced a circle once.

"You all will wish you _never_ came to this earth!"

Twice. The blonde's lips pressed into the back of her bubblegum pink hair, his eyes closing for a moment.

Slade drew a fairly large gun from its holster, a bronze color glowing in the formation of long and short lines on the gun before dimming some.

And it was pointed directly at Kid Flash.

"Why don't we start with you, speedster?"

Flash's eyes widened.

"I should've gotten rid of you first-ah ah ah, don't even think about moving a muscle. Just one hit will make you paralyzed from the waist down. Your little girlfriend talks about you all the time. What was her name? Jinx?" His finger flitted over the trigger, cocking the gun; the mention of Jinx made Kid Flash's jaw clench, his nostrils flaring and fists balling up. "Ah yes, I had my way with her. She was fun. She put up a great fight."

"_What did you do to Jinx?!"_ Kid Flash demanded hotly, ears red.

Slade smirked. "Careful, Wally. Jinx told me all about your temper tantrums."

"Oh he don' gone too far," Bee muttered, practically jumping up and down with anger and anticipation. Cyborg touched the small of her back to calm her down.

"What's Kid Flash gonna do without his speed?" Slade questioned. "Oh that's right. Without your powers, without your little witch, that makes you...nothing!"

Kid Flash was currently fighting back tears. The thought of Jinx gone...the thought of her...dead...the thought of him being too late...What did he live for anyway?

So he took three steps forward, hands up in surrender.

"Give me your best shot," he said, a tear slipping.

Automatically, Robin and Speedy's eyes widened in silent protest, and Aqualad shook his head quickly; were they really about to loose their brother?

Slade nodded, "I thought you'd see it my way. Send Jinx my regards..." He rose his gun higher.

Kid Flash closed his eyes, waiting for whatever would come to be done and over with.

_Jinx, I love you._

**BAM_._**

The gun sounded, but he didn't feel anything penetrate him. Opening his eyes, he saw the beam bounce off the wall and hit a screen, then a flash of pink light out of his peripheral vision made his heart stop.

Wally slowly turned around.

The pink light-or rather _hex_-had struck down Slade, a knife pierced through the back of his head. Pink electric currents ran repeatedly through his body still, his body giving unnatural jerks. Malchior and Kitten were in similar positions on the floor. The gun was feet away from Slade, and his son took it hastily; the blonde kept it pointed at his father as he and the small girl circled around to join their friends, Kole gripping Jericho by the bicep.

The source of the hex came from the ajar doorway, an exhausted looking girl leaning heavily against the threshold to support her weight, lowering her hand, which was loosing its pink glow. Her hair was long and shaggy, its color an exotic jet black. Her skin was mocha, her facial structure taking after an Indian decent. And if it weren't for her pink eyes-which had gone from catlike slits to normal round irises-her dingy dress, or her voice, it would've been impossible for them to believe this girl was...-

_"No you fucking don't,"_ she snarled, her voice, although sharp, sounded breathless, chest heaving.

"Jinx..." breathed Kid Flash.

"Jinx..." the boys echoed.

"Jinx..." the girls sighed.

And then that's when fuchsia pink orbs met stormy blue ones. Jinx barely took a limp forward when Kid Flash sped over to her, scooping her up in his arms and holding her tight. She returned his embrace just as fiercely, gripping at his hair as if her life depended on it. His lips were on her, getting every inch of her he could reach, drowning her in his kisses.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured as he felt her shake with sobs. "I'm the biggest asshole in history, and I don't deserve you." He choked back on his own tears.

"I'm sorry too," she murmured back, chin tucking in his shoulder blade. "I am the worst, most untrustworthy bitch ever, and you are _so_ above my league."

Yet after their confessions, they still held each other, lips locking for a passionate kiss.

"I hate you," she said.

"I love you too," he said back, the two briefly laughing before their moment had to be cut short. Hearing movement, for Slade was the first to come out of his stupor, Kid Flash quickly tugged Jinx over to the others-specifically to Titans West so Jinx could be healed as well.

Slowly, Slade reached to the back of his head, fingers wrapping around the handle of the knife, and yanked it out. There was no blood. "Impressive, Titans..." He got to his feet. "But I still have an advantage. Perhaps another time..."

And as he said that, Sladebots and Slade cronies emerged from the level above, readying themselves for battle and waiting for the command to attack.

"Farewell," Slade gave a bow, then he ran from the room.

"Oh no you don't!" Robin snapped, unsheathing his staff (his weapon belt was back, oh yeah!). Cyborg pulled out his Sonic Cannon. Raven's eyes and hands lit. Beast Boy's fangs came out, taking on a more animalistic look.

Speedy raised his bow, pulling back the arrow. Cheshire flipped her pistols to and fro between her fingers effortlessly. Aqualad's hands twisted, water already coming out of the pipes and circling around himself and Terra. Terra had pieces of rock floating underneath her fingertips. Bumble Bee charged her new stingers.

Kid Flash cracked his knuckles. Jinx snapped her fingers, pink electric bolts circling around her; her dress disappeared, replacing the thing with something else entirely; a black dress, the top flaring out at the hips and body hugging skirt attached underneath it. The short sleeves were stringy, the bust revealing a nice amount of skin. In the back showed more skin, but in a thinner layer of cloth. And to complete it all were black stockings and matching boots, necklace hanging from her neck, dark makeup covering her face, and hair looking more presentable and attractive.

Jericho sunk in a fighting stance, spare pocket knife in hand. Kole was slowly turning to crystal ice, her fist balling up, and you could see every particle, making her look almost invisible.

Kitten and Malchior stood together, claws and teeth out, eyes changing color. "Don't hold back!" they both yelled, and the robots and cronies jumped down.

Robin and Starfire exchanged glances, hints of smiles pulling at the corner of their mouths, and Starfire's hands and eyes lit up.

The Teen Wonder and alieness both cried to the heavens:

"TITANS, GO!"

* * *

**I am so evil for cutting it there ;D**

**For those of you who might be confused about the Jericho thing, if you remember from a previous chapter when Beast Boy heard every one of his teammates yell before they were captured, there was a catch. Jericho's a mute, so he couldn't scream. And it looked like he had a plan.**

**Jinx's back! Whoot! Her new appearance shocked you guys, I know. But more will be revealed in the chapters that follow! I decided to kinda honor her comic book counterpart, besides the hair part. Originally, I was gonna add the white costume too, but I figured, eh. That might be a little too racy for the moment xP**

**NEXT CHAPTER'S THE BATTLE. I REPEAT: NEXT CHAPTER, SHIT GETS REAL.**

**But with Beast Boy and Kid Flash, there's always humor thrown in xD**

**Also! Slight spoiler-there's gonna be another Rush Hour reference between Robin, Beast Boy, and Slade. Can anyone guess what it is? XDD**

**Who else thought that the Titans healing each other was cool? :D It all has to do with their link to each other, and since it's the five of them, they're more powerful when they're together. I just love it!**

**Wooow this was a long author's note.**


	34. The Final Battle

**OMG YOU GUYS ARE JUST FREAKIN' _OUT_!**

**Didn't know Flinx was that well loved, and now I feel guilty for not having more Flinx in the beginning! Eh, I'll make up for it ;D**

**Special shoutout to: **

***CAPITAL GIRL, who made me burst out laughing as soon as I read, 'YOU LITTLE SHIT...' Love you! xDDD You're the drive for updating this chapter :D**

***iluvraven: don't worry, this is not the last from me for TT :) More BBRae and RobStar to come!**

**And, yeah, I know-SLADE JUST NEVER STAYS DEAD, WHY THE FVCK IS HE ALIVE?! I couldn't kill him right there, because there would barely be any action. So yeah, I believe this is definitely a chapter you guys have been looking forward to.**

* * *

Robin tore after Slade, his team in tow. He was angry, he was excited, and most of all, he felt so energetic. He was running faster than he had ever run with this new energy, practically flying as his feet barely scraped the ground. Beast Boy was just as fast next to him, although he ran on all fours, not phasing completely just yet. Raven and Starfire flew, and Cyborg took up the rear.

What surprised them was that Terra quickly caught up to them. And this is just what Robin needed.

"Terra, slow him down!" he barked.

Terra grunted, raising her hands and throwing her arms together; chunks of the wall broke off and were thrown at the masked villain, who danced out of her wrath-narrowly but barely. It did slow Slade down a bit.

Starfire took the opportunity to shoot a starbolt, her hand and arm reering back; she let her energy charge in her hand, heat rising to dangerous temperatures. With a battle cry, she shot her starbolt, and suceeded in blasting him in the back.

_"Great job, Starfire!"_ Robin thanked her in his head, and with a battle cry of his own, he launched himself at Slade. Their bodies slammed into each other, crashing through the wall and into the next room.

"Robin!" Starfire exclaimed with concern, racing after them.

Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Terra started to follow when they saw two people appear at the opposite ends of the hallway. On one side was Malchior; Raven and Beast Boy slowly turned around to face him. On the other side was Kitten; Cyborg and Terra faced her.

"_Split up?_" Beast Boy asked.

_"I go that way and you go this way,"_ Cyborg said back, causing the changeling to snicker.

"_Agreed_," said Raven.

"LEGGO!" Cyborg outbursted, shooting Kitten with his Sonic Cannon, causing her to let out a strangled mew. He and Terra tore after the other blonde.

Meanwhile, Malchior took a step forward, and Beast Boy let out a warning growl.

Malchior smirked. "Why don't we take this somewhere...private?"

And with that, he phased through the floor. Teeth gritted, Raven enveloped Beast Boy in her cloak, and the two phased through the floor as well.

* * *

"I can do this all day!" Kid Flash exclaimed, doing a backflip over the Sladebot's head. He caught himself by his hands, planting them on the ground before he landed on his back, body hovering over the floor; legs snapping together, he brought them back before, in a blur, kicking the Sladebot hard in the backside, making it stumble. A cronie rolled over the back of it, machete raised and ready to strike. A pink hexbolt knocked him over before he could harm the speedster. Kid Flash looked over his shoulder, grinning at the sight of Jinx's arm over his shoulder, her cheek grazing his ear. "Tag team?"

Jinx smirked and stood up straight, Kid Flash copying her movements (12 times faster that is).

"Behind you!" she exclaimed, and Kid Flash turned so she can lean around his back, shooting a hexbolt at the two Sladebots. Kid Flash punched and kicked at the others who tried to harm her in exchange while she did this, then he took her hands, ready to lift her. Jinx jumped, readying her legs, and as Flash spun her around, her legs kicked the enemies and knocked them down one by one.

And, right before 10 could clobber them at once, Jinx screamed, eyes flashing pink, and several different hex bolts rose from the floor, electrocuting them before they fell in a heap. Kid Flash looked around, wide-eyed.

"_God, _I love you."

* * *

Jericho reared around, letting the knife slice through each Sladebot as he made a circle. Two came at him and he jumped, legs kicking out and going in opposite directions; striking them down, he felt himself being pushed back, so as soon as his back hit the floor, he planted his hands behind on other side of his head, legs bending, and he hopped back up, drop kicking the cronie that attacked him; he took his blade, slowly putting it in the pocket of his jacket before turning around at the sound of rapid gunshots.

A Sladebot with built-in ammo was shooting at Kole, who was currently in her ice form; the bullets bounced off of her hard skin, her hands blocking as she backed away and it advanced. What she didn't know was that a cronie was sneaking up behind her, gun pointing at the back of her head.

_Kole! _Jericho jumped up high, then started running across the heads of Sladebots to reach the upper level Kole was on. Leaping up and grabbing the bar, he swung himself forward while flipping backwards. The front of his feet caught a pole before his hands did. Swinging himself around, he flatted his body so he'd catch air as he let himself go. His body soared sideways and reached its target, knocking the cronie down. Kole yelped, turning around just to see Jericho raise a blade, and she looked away. The Sladebot shooting at her would've gotten the chance to end her if her hand didn't turn into ice before choking it, and her foot came hard across its face, thus sending it spiraling down to the first level.

Jericho got to his feet, his gaze, although fierce, softened when their eyes met. The two approached each other, fingers brushing against each other.

"_My father..." _he started to sign.

Kole nodded. "I know. It's okay. Go."

Jericho nodded, kissing her forehead before he jumped on the railing; he gave her one last look over his shoulder before flipping down and over into the battle below.

* * *

"Now, now, Robin..." Slade said, he and the Teen Wonder getting to their feet; Starfire hovered beside Robin, eyes and hands lit. "We wouldn't want a lady to get involved, now do we? Someone could get hurt..."

"Yeah, and it's _you_!" Robin snapped, throwing himself at the villain again. Slade drew a beam gun and shot him in the shoulder, causing the teen to fly back and hit the ground; it was hot, and stung where he shot him, Robin clutching his singed shoulder. His costume was ripped there, blackened on the edges.

Starfire gasped. "Robin!" Her teeth ground together as she started for Slade; Slade effortlessly held his hand out towards her, and metal cuffs and chains shot out from the wall of the other side. Slamming into Starfire, the alieness was flown back until she hit the wall, the metal wrapping around her wrists and ankles, thus restraining her. Starfire cursed in Tamaranean, pulling and thrashing against the restraints.

"My apologies, sweetheart," said Slade as Robin got to his feet. "But I believe that it's time for Robin and I to have a talk-man to man..."

"So be it," said a fuming Robin, drawing his staff. "Let's '_talk_'."

Slade smirked and did the same before the two ran at each other.

* * *

Beast Boy, Raven, and Malchior appeared in an empty corridor below. It was very wide and had a few doorways along with it. As soon as Beast Boy took in his new surroundings before he was on high alert.

"Ah, this is better," Malchior said in approval, taking off his jacket and throwing it to the side. Now he wore a black vest, chest and abs hanging out. He was well built, and the black markings and tattoos were dark and ancient looking.

Beast Boy's breathing became heavier. His predatory side was becoming stronger; he pulled Raven behind him, ignoring her quiet protests. She was going to stay out of this whether she liked it or not. He growled at her to silence her, and surprisingly she quieted.

Letting go of her, Beast Boy stalked forward, transforming as he did so. Malchior was doing the same, that same smile on his face that made the changeling want to rip it off with his teeth.

"Easy there, dog," Malchior came to a stop. "You wouldn't want Rae Rae's kids to get hurt, do you?"

Beast Boy stiffened and Raven's eyes widened, already fearing the worst. Malchior's smirk widened into something sinister as he rose a hand behind him. The wall shifted and slid open, revealing three orange tubes.

And in there, tied and gagged up, were none other than Melvin, Timmy Tantrum, and Teether.

Raven was almost brought to tears right there and then, taking in their beaten appearances. At the sight of her, the three children screamed her name, their voices muffled by the cloth in their mouths.

"NO!" Raven cried, stumbling forward, and Malchior's hand threateningly lit up, causing her to stop. If she moved, she realized, he would hurt them by using dark magic.

Beast Boy didn't know the kids personally, but he knew how much Raven cared about them, like if they were her own.

"Aw come on, that's messed up!" Beast Boy snarled.

"Malchior, please, they're just kids!" Raven cried, her vision blurring from the tears she was holding back.

"You're actually begging?" Malchior chuckled. "What makes you think I'll fall for that? Must be some pretty twisted lie you have these children thinking that you have a heart. They wouldn't stop talking about you. 'Specially the eldest one. But hey, it's always easy to shut children up..." There was a mysterious glint in Malchior's eyes that Raven caught.

"**What did you do**_ to my kids?!_" Raven's voice rose to almost a screech, hands balling up.

Beast Boy, in the midst of his red haze, noticed the wind pick up around the empath, hair flying. He could feel her fury, her stress, her protectiveness over these three kids. They must've really meant something to her...

Malchior watched the female physically and emotionally become undone and smirked once more. Her feet left the ground, wind picking up stronger, black tentacles slithering out of her cloak like snakes, eyes going from two to four.

"There you go, darling," he cooed, readying himself.

"Raven-" Beast Boy started, struggling to talk through his fangs.

"HE. TOUCHED. MY. _KIDS!" _Raven's voice sounded deeper, like ten different people talking at once.

Beast Boy looked from Raven to Malchior, and back again. "Yeeeeah, you're on your own, dude."

_With Malchior distracted, maybe I can get the kids outta here._

_Whoa. I just sounded like a dad._

_Weird._

_Moving on!_

_Somebody switch the scene!_

_WHERE'S THE PAGE BREAK?_

* * *

Robin, if he wasn't mad before, he was now. And that was the problem. He had a bad habit of letting his rage get the best of him because when he did, his fighting went wild and sloppy, out of focus, and he couldn't think straight. This is where Slade had the advantage. Being older and more experienced than the teen, he knew this. He knew the Teen Wonder's weaknesses, which was why he was easily able to beat him to a bloody pulp again. He saved his breath while the boy took his anger out on him and used that to finally deliver the blows and not holding back whatsoever. Witch magic, be damned. The villain was going to win this fight, even if he had to end the Teen Wonder and his girlfriend himself.

Crashing into the wall, Robin pushed himself up in a sitting position, body slumping over. He didn't know how much his body could take. His costume was in rips, cape torn in half and was in a dark heap next to him. The side of his head was bleeding, and his mask was cracked in one eye. Slade took out his staff again and headed over to Starfire; eyes widening, Robin watched, helpless, in horror as Starfire was slapped across the cheek with it. Even if he was on his feet, Robin wouldn't be able to make it on time. Starfire cried out, tears tumbling out of her eyelids. Robin began to get furious again, and that's what Slade wanted.

Wait a minute.

_That's what Slade wants! _Robin told himself. _He wants me to not be able to think! Alright, focus, Robin, focus. Starfire will be fine. She can take a beating more than I can; she has the durability and strength to-_he winced as he heard the metal come in contact with precious skin. _C'mon, think! Can't believe I'm saying this but...what would Bruce do in a situation like this?_

"Look at that," Slade was telling Starfire, who looked pretty beaten. Lip busted, arms and legs bruised, cuts painted along her flawless skin, blood oozing from either side of her face, the Tamaranean was unable to speak. Her lungs burned, her ribcage feeling like it was about to collapse on itself. "Your boyfriend has finally given up on you. We all know who the winner is in this fight."

"You...are incorrect," Starfire rasped. Slade arched an eyebrow.

"Really? And what so would be my disadvantage?"

Starfire smiled then yelled something in Tamaranean, the screech a cross between her native tongue and a catlike snarl. The glass ceiling caved in, dark shapes falling into the room. An exploding disk rolled by the villain's feet before smoke spreaded. Slade was tossed aside like a bag of potatoes, and red X's and blackbolts were raining down on him like a storm. Robin didn't know what was going on, but he heard punches and kicks being thrown, and the sound of metal against metal. More blackbolts, and a new duo, male and female, were both grunting and letting loose battle cries. Two pairs of heavy footsteps told Robin that two had left, and what was more bizarre was that Robin saw flames for a brief moment; a wild growl that wasn't human before the wall was barged into, blowing chunks around the room.

The smoke cleared, and the first thing Robin could see was Blackfire standing defensively in front of her younger sister, eyes and hands lit.

And then a black hand was offered to him. Robin looked up into the eyes of Red X, who's mask was ripped enough for some of his dark hair to poke out in all directions, as well as some parts of his face and mouth; a grey, silvery streak was seen in the midst of it all, and if it weren't for the familiar set of blue eyes, Robin would've had a heart attack. The identity of Red X was finally revealed, and there was no trace of anger crossing Robin's features now.

Robin took it, and X pulled him to his feet.

"Sorry I'm late, big bro," he said.

"_Jason?" _Robin gasped out hoarsely, gripping his younger brother's shoulder firmly to see if this really was real.

Red X smiled, but the way his face currently looked, it almost resembled a grimace. "Hey there, Dickie-bird."

Robin rolled his eyes, but it was of fondness.

"You..." Slade spit out blood, eye wide, "are quite clever..."

Blackfire took one grip on the chains and yanked with a snarl, thus freeing her younger sister. As soon as Starfire was free, ripping the cuffs off her, she smiled, and Blackfire returned it. Slade drew a beam gun from its holster and, before they could react, shot Starfire, Blackfire, _and_ X, causing them to fall in a heap.

Okay.

The gun was aimed at Robin, but the Teen Wonder was too fast for it as the gun fired. He took off in a run, dodging each beam, and ran alongside the wall before he turned, leg swinging around and making delicious contact with Slade's face; Half of Slade's mask fell off with a clang and, before the villain could turn and hide himself, with unbelievable strength, Robin hoisted Slade up and forced him against the wall mercilessly. Slade knocked Robin in the side of his face, but the teen wasn't going down that easy. He did a move that would probably break Slade's fingers, grabbing the gun, and finally having Slade at gunpoint.

At this moment, Beast Boy came in the room, Melvin, Teether, and Timmy Tantrum at his sides.

"Oh, hey, Robin!" Beast Boy grinned. "I see you've got this under control and God _DAYUM_!" He gestured towards the two unconscious Tamaraneans and Red X himself. "What happened to them?"

"Well well well," said Slade, and Robin got a good look at the man behind the mask. White hair, steel, hard blue eyes that were unfriendly, stress lines (or wrinkles) making his face hardset and looking almost elderly. "Our identities are at least unveiled. I never knew the boy behind the mask was Dick Grayson, son of Bruce Wayne. Ah, it all makes sense now..."

Robin cocked the gun, his visible blue eye narrowing.

"But too bad, because your parents _were_ nice people..."

Oh.

_Oh._

"Oh hell naw, he don' gone _too far_," said Beast Boy. "Shoot his ass right now, Rob, shoot his _ass_!"

"I believe I knew your mother _really_ well," Slade continued with a disturbing cackle. "She was always one who liked it rough, but of course you weren't even born yet. She preferred that fool of a father, and here you come along, five years later..."

"All you gotta do is pull that trigger back and BAM!" the changeling exclaimed.

"What are you doing?" Melvin asked quietly, pulling on his sleeve.

"Shh, just play along," Beast Boy told her. "Push the button!"

Melvin smiled, releasing Beast Boy's hand. "Yeah, c'mon, push the button!"

"Blow his ugly face up!"

"Yeah, blow his ugly face up!"

"Push the goddamn button!"

"Push the goddamn button!"

Beast Boy hastily pushed Melvin behind himself, fighting the urge to laugh. "What she said."

"BEAST BOY!" Robin turned his attention sharply to the changeling, and Slade took the opportunity to snatch the gun away from Robin and aim it at Beast Boy and the kids.

The gun went off.

"AGH!" Beast Boy yelped, pulling the kids down with him.

Starfire, Blackfire, and Red X were slowly coming to, groaning softly. Slade kicked Robin down, his foot digging in Robin's throat to choke him.

"Now, I've had enough!" Slade roared. "I should've started with you..." He cocked the gun, and, despite his efforts, Robin couldn't get the villain off of him. "Goodbye, Robin, the Boy Wonder..."

Before the gun could go off, before Beast Boy could transform, there was a tap on Slade's shoulder.

"Get away from my son," the dark shape said before punching Slade hard in the face; an unconscious Slade collapsed in a heap on the floor, and Robin blinked.

Beast Boy's mouth dropped. "No way..."

* * *

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shot dark energy bolts and blasts at the dragon now, chasing after the one thing she used to fear. But she didn't anymore. Now that Beast Boy and her kids were safe and out of the way, she could fully focus. Her love for them turned her back before her full demon could take over. And she had put up a brilliant fight. Her grey skin was covered in burns, burns that she couldn't heal until she got somewhere safe.

"_Nice try, sweetheart_," Malchior said before blowing flames at her again.

The window beside Raven burst, causing her to crash to the floor. Disoriented, she took a moment to right herself before sitting up to see what was the cause of the explosion. And it wasn't what, but _who_. A girl who looked like someone had gender-bended Rorek and added white dragon wings stood there, flying up so she could come face to face with the dragon.

_"E-Erika?" _he stammered.

"Hello, brother," Erika said, claws extended before she sent a ball of white and blue magic; the blow was powerful, causing Malchior to fall back, his body coiling and rolling around on the floor. Erika smiled, her blue eyes glowing, fangs visible as she spoke. "You always were a little byotch."

Raven got to her feet. _Who was this girl? I never read about her in the Rorek tales_...

Erika looked over her shoulder, she and Raven's eyes meeting. "Now I'd love to chat, but we have an asshole to take down."

This statement brought a smirk to Raven's face. This must've been the help Starfire was talking about.

Together, the two girls shot blasts continuously at the dragon, who did his best to dodge, but could only do it for so long. The blue flames Erika spat from her mouth were a great advantage, and singed the dragon's tough, raw skin.

"_Now_ we're talking," Raven murmured under her breath.

* * *

"Hey, Daddy-o!" Red X said, voice slurring. "How ya doin'?"

Batman eyed X up and down before he held a hand out to Robin; the Teen Wonder took it gratefully, and was pulled to his feet. Family time later. Business now.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Robin demanded, out of breath, bruise forming on his neck.

Translation: Ohmygod Dad like I'm glad you're here but then again I hate you because you stole the spotlight again I love you though.

"I heard there was an unsupervised party," Batman said back, casting a look around.

Translation: God son stop being a little bitch I'm just glad you're okay I love you so much that I could punch you right know.

"No love for me?" X asked as he got to his feet.

Translation: Well shit Dad you always put Dick first like what am I not pretty.

Batman's glare silenced him from saying anything else.

Translation: We'll talk more when we get home you are in deep trouble you little shit.

Robin turned, getting down to his knees as Starfire's eyes fluttering open.

"Richard...?" her voice cracked and was low, her older sibling groaning and rolling on her side like a girl who found out she was on her period.

"Everything's alright, sweetheart. I'm here." He could care less how mushy and lovey dovey he sounded, but currently he didn't give a damn. He pulled Starfire into his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Surprisingly, Red X and Blackfire were in a similar situation, X tenderly helping Blackfire sit up, and her head tilted over on his shoulder.

"What happened to Slade?" Starfire asked. "We are victorious?"

Robin opened his mouth to answer when Jericho appeared in the doorway. He signed something, which Robin translated, "The fighting's over." and Jericho's face was emotionless as he crossed the room. Taking Slade by the leg, he carelessly dragged his father across the floor and out the other way, disappearing into the shadows.

"Father-son issues?" Batman deadpanned.

"You don't even know the half of it," said Robin.

Then, Robin, Starfire, and especially Beast Boy felt a pang in their stomachs. At the same time, Cyborg bounded in the room.

The four Titans uttered one word.

"_Raven."_

* * *

"RAVEN!" Beast Boy's voice rang through the room as he and the Titans (and Batman, Blackfire, and Red X).

Raven looked, and she was blasted off her feet by a burst of fire.

"Raven!" Melvin, Timmy Tantrum, and Teether cried, watching the empath fly through the air. Beast Boy ran forward and caught her in his arms before her head could make a sickening crunch on the floor.

"I don't know how long I can take this..." Raven panted, her breath coming in sharp intakes.

"You don't have to, don't worry, Rae," Beast Boy told her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her forehead. "Let me take care of this."

And with that, he stood, the kids crowding around their mother figure protectively.

Malchior, who was now phased back, pushed himself up on his side, spitting out blood as he little sister approached him.

"Had enough yet?" Erika asked. She, too, was beaten pretty badly.

Malchior growled, thrusting a hand forward, and black electric bolts circled around her; Erika fought the fire, the sting, the heavy force, but when she did, cuts began to stretch and open on her skin. She cried out, and as Malchior stood and gained strength, she fell to her knees. He didn't stop until he was in front of her, taking her face in his hands, and with a sharp jerk, her neck was broken and she was unconscious.

Malchior smiled when he realized he had more company, raising his arms. "Who's next?"

Beast Boy rose his head, a wolf howl rippling his lips as his fangs and claws grew back. Eyes white, he ripped off the remains of his suit top, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "I've been waiting for this all night."

"Just you against me?" Malchior snorted.

Beast Boy's grin widened. "Not exactly."

The howl had been a signal, and a certain someone caught it. That certain someone emerged from the shadows, taking on the same appearance as the changeling without the green skin and hair.

"Hey, asswipe," said Adonis, now coming at Beast Boy's flank. "Ever heard of the expression, 'The strength of the wolf is the pack'?"

Malchior's smile fell. "_Oh_."

"You do realize you just hurt my girlfriend, right?"

"The both of ours," Beast Boy corrected.

Malchior sunk in a crouch. "You want me so bad? _Come and get me,_" he growled.

Simultaneous growls emitted from both wolf eyes, and as they and the dragon ran at each other, Beast Boy and Adonis transformed into their Beasts and the battle began. A blow to the chest triggered Malchior's transformation, and to everyone's surprise, Beast Boy transformed into a dragon as well, the two large creatures smashing windows and walls as their bodies tangled and strangled each other. Mouth agape, huffs escaping his mouth, Adonis jumped, claws sinking into Malchior's body, and he rapidly climbed up to the head. Sitting on it, knees digging in the sides, Adonis prepared himself since Beast Boy involved only made the movement harder and erratic, almost too fast for him to have a good aim. But he got it, and with a battle roar, Adonis sunk his claws deep into Malchior's eye sockets.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHH!" _Malchior was in so much pain that he transformed back into his human self, and Beast Boy was back to his half in half state, he and Adonis thrown across the room on different sides from Malchior's tail. Malchior grabbed at his oozing eyes, crying out in pain and speaking in an ancient language. Beast Boy and Adonis caught each other's eye when they were on all fours, and, as one, took off on all fours until they reached the dragon man. Beast Boy ducked as a stream of fire was sent in his direction, and he and Adonis shoved their hands through Malchior's stomach and lower back. Malchior's body arched, going rigged, and with an abrupt _ssslt!, _Beast Boy and Adonis withdrew their bloody hands, and Malchior's dead body fell to the floor. There was no sign of life now. His skin was pale. His chest wasn't moving. The blood running turned black, and began leaking from his nose and mouth.

"It's done," Beast Boy panted gravely, and Adonis nodded. An alliance was on the horizon for the two former enemies. Erika was coming to, and Adonis went to her. Beast Boy slowly turned to face his team, wondering how they would look at him now. A monster? A killer?

No. None of those. There were looks of faint fear, surprise, yes, and for some, approval.

Beast Boy numbly walked over to the girl limping over to him. Beast Boy fell to his knees, exhaustion finally coming over him, and Raven sunk down to her own knees while holding her bleeding side. The changeling hung his head, and the empath pulled him to her.

_"Are we clear?" _Speedy's voice asked through Robin's communicator.

Robin took a deep breath, his eyes catching Jericho's as the blonde appeared in the doorway, arms crossed.

"We're good here," the Teen Wonder said back, not being able to believe it himself.

"What does this mean?" Starfire asked, and Robin's gaze flickered to her.

And he actually smiled; a relaxed, tired one.

"...We won."

* * *

**THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG BUT IT WAS WORTH IT XD**

**What happened to Slade? Eh, who cares. Jericho could've thrown his father in a nearby dumpster or something.**

**Nah, you guys will find out xD ****Next chapter, all of the Titans fly back home, and a selected few decide to stay at Wayne Manor.**

**I bet you guys can guess who ;D**

**I hope this chapter was worth the wait; I hope I was descriptive enough, and there was enough humor as well as action in it.**

**Until the next chapter-**

**"Robin said _knock you out_!"**

**"Batman said _bitch, you down_."**

**Lol, me and my best friend come up with the craziest shit.**

**Peace!**


	35. Settling In Gotham

**And here we are, almost everyone post-battle, and I'm using their real names here :)**

**P.S. You guys sure beg for some BBRae, Flinx, Jerikole, and Robstar, don't cha? ;D**

**...wish granted. You know my weakness.**

* * *

Bruce Wayne thought he would never see the day where eleven teenagers would make themselves at home in his house.

Well, today was the day.

Dick walked in first, leading his team: Starfire, Garfield, Raven, and Victor. Following them were Wally and his girlfriend, a girl named Karen who was glued at Victor's side, Roy, and the assassin, and last but not least, Jason. Bruce had expected Wally and Roy, since he knew them and their mentors more personally.

"When you're done washing up, I need to see you four," he said, gesturing towards Dick, Jason, Wally, and Roy, or as he mentally viewed them now as the Frightful Four. "My office."

"Yes, sir," Wally saluted, and Dick and Roy shot him looks. "What?"

And then there were the kids. Just three of them, who were very shy and didn't meet Bruce in the eye, but that didn't bother him. Apparently, the Raven girl knew them, since they were practically stuck to her like glue.

Alfred, who had thought ahead of time-smart man, he was-went to go get the stash of clothes he had for his new guests. The boys' belongings were already put in their rooms.

* * *

"Raven, where are we?" Teether asked as Raven guided them into one of the spare rooms. There were two beds, but as soon as their oldest sibling climbed into the first bed, they squeezed in next to her.

"Gotham City," said Raven, doing her best to cover up her burns as she drifted over to them to tuck them in. "It's okay. You're safe now. It's been a long night. You three should get some sleep, okay?"

"Will you be here in the morning?" Timmy asked in that cute voice of his, pulling the blankets up to his chin.

Raven smiled softly. "Of course." She turned her gaze on Melvin. "You okay?"

Melvin nodded and smiled faintly. "I'm fine."

Garfield, who had been wandering aimlessly, saw a familiar purple head and stopped, leaning against the doorway; the sight was adorable and made him smile. These children really brought out Raven's humanity.

Teether spotted him first and waved. "Hey, Big Dude!"

"What's happenin', Little Dude?" Garfield said back with a chuckle, walking into the room now.

"You kicked butt today!" Teether exclaimed.

"Yeah?" The changeling ruffled his hair.

Raven shook her head, an amused smile tugging at her lips.

"Are you and Raven dating?" Timmy asked innocently.

"Timmy!" Melvin and Teether exclaimed.

"But really," said Teether seriously.

"Are you?" Melvin prodded.

Raven sighed, she and the changeling exchanging glances.

"Yeah," said Raven.

"We are," Gar added proudly.

The three children giggled.

"Alright, you all should get some sleep," Raven said, and Timmy was the first to reach for her. She gently cupped his face and kissed his forehead, doing the same to Teether, and then Melvin. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Raven!"

"Goodnight, guys," Gar waved at them as he and Raven retreated.

"G'night, dude!" they said back, and the changeling laughed before turning off the light. The two watched as the three siblings turned to each other, Melvin wrapping her small arms around her little brothers as much as she could.

"You're already rubbing off them," Raven said, closing the door.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Gar asked, arching an eyebrow.

Raven didn't answer, teasingly walking ahead of him.

"Wait, Rae! Is this a good or bad thing? C'mon!"

* * *

Dick, Jason, Wally, and Roy walked into Bruce's large office, one by one. Wally and Roy took up the rear, Jason and Dick in the front. Bruce turned around in his seat before eyeing his two son's with narrowed eyes.

"Sit."

They did, Roy and Wally hanging back.

Bruce turned on Jason. "Explain yourself."

_Oh damn_, Jason thought.

"Okay...well...you see...the thing is...what had happened was-"

Bruce's eyes narrowed even further.

Translation: _Look you little shit_-

Jason held up his hands. "Okay, okay, okay!"

Translation: Please don't hurt me!

Bruce sat back and Jason explained how he mysteriously found himself in a weird pit that he got dragged out of by a banished Tamaranean princess, how they befriended and went on adventures since then, and found a werewolf, a half-dragon half-warlock hybrid, and a burly ex-villain from the Hive Five. When Bruce asked specifically about Jason's "close female friend", Dick teasingly cut in and said that she was Starfire's older sister.

Jason was still blushing when they all left after telling their sides of the battle.

* * *

"How's she doin'?"

Gar looked up as Victor, Starfire, and Dick stepped into the infirmary, all clad in their pajamas. Raven was currently in her trance, or at least, she was trying to, since she wasn't floating, but she managed to doze.

"I don't know, dude. I mean, she needed my help with putting on her pj's..." He blushed faintly, then brushed it off. "Just seeing her like that...I just..." He sighed. "I'm worried about her."

Victor put a comforting hand on Gar's shoulder, squeezing some. "Don't worry, B. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I don't know, she looks too still..." Dick murmured.

The four conscious Titans felt a familiar tingling in their fingers, all raising a hand in front of themselves; each hand was now starting to produce their healing auras.

"Alright, Titans," said Dick. "Looks like it's time to heal our teammate."

He never thought he'd say that.

Dick and Victor worked on the lower half of Raven's body while Starfire and Gar worked on the upper half. The Titans were quiet, yet marveling what they could all do together-producing a miracle maybe. The only sounds traveling through the room were low, even breathing, and magic doing its job. Gar's motives were more tender, fingers brushing against the empath's neckline, throat, and forehead. He would drop the occasional kiss on the forehead or cheek.

And then, once her last wound sealed up, and the Titans took a step back in exhaustion, Raven woke up with a sharp gasp. Immediately, they closed back in. Gar cupped the back of her head, his free arm hovering over her just in case.

"What happened?" she croaked.

"You are better," the alieness answered with a smile.

"You all...healed me?" Raven stared in disbelief.

"Yeah," said Dick with a little smile of his own.

"Don't mean to _brag_," said Victor, brushing his human, hologrammed body.

Raven arched an eyebrow, amusement dancing in her eyes.

_"Thanks," _she said through their mental link as Gar helped her up.

_"You're welcome," _the four Titans said back.

* * *

Wally peeped his head in his girlfriend's room. "Jinx?"

The sorceress in question was sitting as still as a statue, perched on the edge of her bed, one leg over the other and gaze forward; her pink eyes were glazed over, glassy, and her hands were placed on top of each other on her knee.

"I think it's Nicole," she said finally as he came in. "My real name."

"What makes you think that?" Wally asked, arching an eyebrow.

Jinx shook her head. "Just...a feeling."

Wally sighed, walking over to her. "Look, honey...Sugar dumpling." He received an arched eyebrow that time and he chuckled softly. "I'm really ticked at Slade for what he did to you, but that doesn't change how I feel about you or who you are."

"Oh. _Oh_." A tear fell down Jinx's cheek as she continued with weak sarcasm, "So what? You think I'm ugly now? Is that it?"

"No," Wally shook his head. "You've never looked more beautiful," he told her seriously.

Jinx looked up as he stood over her, eyes fluttering when he wiped her tear away. His actions caused more tears to flow, something he didn't like seeing. Jinx got to her feet, brushing passed him.

"Can I hold you?" he asked, arms open.

Jinx turned, and that was it. "_Please_."

As soon as she was in his arms, he never wanted to let her go. He held her as she let it all out, her hexbolts striking an inanimate object every now and then, but that only made him hold her tighter. Jinx clung to him, burying her face in his collarbone, wetting his t-shirt with her hot tears. Eventually, he brought her to the bed where they both lay down and cuddled close together for a few minutes, spent with him consoling her. Their close proximities led to a slow, sensual lip-lock.

His closeness is what got her under his spell, oh how the tides have turned now, made her hand fist around his shirt, letting him progressively roll on top of her gently. She could feel, she could sense his hesitation; she knew that by the way he was vaguely feeling her up, he was mentally asking her permission, yet telling her that he would take care of her-if she let him. Her answer came in a soft moan, kicking her leg free and wrapping it around his waist and bringing them closer. Her fingers mesmerized the texture of his hair, making it even messier than before, but who was complaining?

"Wal..." she murmured as his lips explored her neck, all the while pushing his shirt up his back, palms digging into the muscles in their wake. Leaning back, Wally pulled at the hem and tossed his shirt over his head before uniting their lips again. Their kissing pace sped up some.

Wally grazed his nose against hers, gaze lidded and blue eyes darkened with love and lust. He cupped her cheeks, thumbs stroking her jawline, the underside of her eyelid. "I wanna see you..." His voice came in a hoarse whisper, and all she could do was wet her lips and gaze back up at him wordlessly. "_All _of you," he added, blush tainting his cheeks to clarify. "May I?" he asked her softly.

Jinx was still until, finally, she reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head.

* * *

Karen peeped her head out of her bedroom after getting in the silk pajamas that were prepared for her; she really liked Alfred. The man had good taste.

She saw Victor, Gar, Dick, Kori, and Raven walking down the hallway together. The alieness and the empath saw her first, and she stepped out more.

The three girls approached each other before embracing, making the guys smile.

"Didn't know you three were besties," Victor noted as the other four Titans walked off.

Karen rolled her eyes, stifling a yawn, causing her boyfriend to smirk.

"What, gettin' sleepy?"

She grinned, her smile faltering as she took his hand in hers. "Will you stay with me until I go to sleep?"

Vic nodded, automatically coming into her room and closing the door behind him. "You bet."

As he followed her to the bed, she stated firmly:

"And keep yaself in ya pants."

The cyborg mock-pouted. "Damn." He then smirked as he grabbed her hips, softly, but firmly still. "Though I can't make promises that I can't keep..."

* * *

Starfire was waiting for Dick to return. She lay in the bedroom made for herself, waiting for the Teen Wonder who said that he had to talk to Bruce real quick. It didn't bother her. A lot has happened tonight, so of course father and son had a lot to talk about.

It was rougly an hour before Starfire's eyes fluttered closed, and her bedroom door creaked open. Eyes snapping back open, she wiped the sleep out of her eyes and sat up as her boyfriend came in the room wordlessly.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, smoothing her hair down as she judged the stressed look on Dick's face. Dick smiled wryly at her, making his way over to her bedside. Starfire leaned on the weight of her arm.

"Yeah. Bruce is just leaving in the morning," Dick explained, sitting down across from her, perched on the edge of her bed. Their hands reached for each other simultaneously.

"For what?"

"Confidential."

"I understand." She ran her thumb across the back of his hand. "You are...alright?"

"I'll be fine," Dick stated with a nod. "I can tell you that Jericho called and he told us what he did to Slade's body." The way he spoke spooked the alieness a little. "Don't worry, he's in solitary confinement, under strict security."

"Oh. Well that is good, I suppose."

"Mm."

Starfire tilted her head to the side, knowing that Dick wanted more to get off his chest.

"Does...Bruce, er, Mr. Wayne, um...the Batman-" He chuckled as she struggled over what to appropriately call his father figure, "-does he have, um, rules...against-?" Her question was cut off smoothly, for Dick had leaned in and kissed her. He cupped the side of her face, fingers curling in her hair, and she returned the kiss with a surprised sound vibrating her throat. Glad her question was left unsaid and forgotten, she ran her fingers through his hair eagerly, wanting at that moment to be closer.

"Wanna know a secret, Star?" he muttered against her mouth, moving further into the bed and pressing his weight against her.

"Mmm?" she wondered, pulling him down on top of her.

Dick took her by her thighs, and her legs wrapped around his waist automatically. "This is _my_ room."

Starfire pulled back in surprise. "Pardon? B-But Alfred-?"

"_Alfred _is a sly devil," Dick corrected with amusement.

"Oh..." The whisper of their lips moving in synchronization was the only sound traveling through the room until she broke it again, "then...you do not mind...if I stay? Your bed is quite comfortable..."

Dick smirked against the column of her throat, kisses steadily going south. "It's not every night I have a beautiful girl waiting for me in bed."

Starfire's giggle turned into a moan.

* * *

Later into the night, a storm was at its peak. Garfield lay alone in his bed, in and out of consciousness. Rain fell in buckets, lightning flashed across his window. Oh yeah. It was the life.

His sensitive ears picked up the sound of someone knocking softly on his door, and he turned around in the sheets.

"Gar...?"

Raven peeped in, head first, then leg, then her whole body as she eased her way inside his room, closing his door almost silently behind her. The lightning flashed across her face, and the changeling saw a hint of unease and nervousness in the expression. An interesting mix.

"Rae?" His voice, deepened with partial sleep, made her stand a bit straighter and walk with a bit more confidence until she reached the footboard. His enhanced sight took in her pj's-a long sleeved shirt that dipped off one shoulder and short cotton shorts. "You okay?"

He sat up straighter and looked at her.

I mean _really_ looked at her.

_Hold up. Is she **blushing**?_

"I can't sleep," Raven stated. "Could I...?" she gestured towards the bed.

"Oh! Sure thing! Just let me scoot on over..." Gar quickly scooted to the left, smoothing out the wrinkled sheets. Raven watched, bemused, before finally climbing into bed with him. She, too, lay on her side to face him.

"Thanks," she said, pulling the comforter up to her chin.

"No problem..." Gar yawned, his arm falling across her covered waist.

Raven's eyes opened, and he stiffened. Before he could apologize though, she scooted closer to him, and let her hand fall on his bare chest. Eyes wide, Gar smiled before holding her a little more snugly.

"Gar?"

"Yeah?"

Hesitantly, the empath cupped the side of his face, causing his gaze to flicker down to his lips. And, like expected, she leaned in and kissed him. He kissed her back, his hand raising to her neck. After about a minute or so, the words were unspoken, but floated through the short space between them.

_I want you..._

* * *

**Edit: Don't worry, guys! Jerikole's next! I PROMISE :D**


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